Waking Up In Vegas
by Miss Grace O'Malley
Summary: After a wild night in Las Vegas, Damon and Elena find themselves married. What will happen when neither of them can remember?
1. Part I

**New story! Most likely will only be 5-10 chapters. Just something I couldn't get out of my head. Let me know what you guys think and if I should continue!**

* * *

 **Part 1: The Mistake**

Elena awoke to a pounding in her head. She squinted her eyes and instantly groaned as light assaulted her already battered senses. Grabbing the sheet that pooled around her waist, she pulled it up over her face and sighed.

Her body ached as she struggled to reach her phone, desperate to check the time. She couldn't be late for Jenna's rehearsal dinner tonight and she still had to pick up her dress from Caroline's hotel room.

Deciding to bite the bullet, she pulled the sheet off and sat up, her eyes adjusting to the light that flooded her room. Her eyes swept the room, but stopped when they reached the other side of the bed.

 _Perfect,_ she thought, _I got so drunk that I brought a guy back to my hotel room_.

Sighing, she reached out to shake his shoulder when something on her hand glittered in the sunlight. A diamond ring rested on her ring finger. Her mind was on overload and all she could do was scream. And scream she did.

The man in bed jumped up in his nude glory and surveyed the room for a threat before turning back to Elena.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He yelled, "Couldn't you think of a better wake up call? Perhaps a goddamned alarm!"

She gaped at him, taking in his raven hair and piercing blue eyes. Not to mention, his muscular body and his not so subtle package.

He smirked as he saw where her gaze was directed and waggled his eyebrows at her, "Like what you see, huh, kitten? We can have a repeat performance if you want."

"Who the fuck are you?" She finally managed to sputter out as she tore her gaze away from his body, "And why the fuck are you in my bed?"

He appraised her comically, "How drunk were you last night? I mean, I get that you don't remember my name, but we did a lot of other stuff, too."

"Can you please put some clothes on?" She half said, half snarled, "Obviously I can't handle my liquor-"

"Obviously," he mumbled as he pulled on a pair of jeans that previously adorned the floor, "Let's start with the basics. I'm Damon, you're Elena. We met at the bar last night and one thing led to another." He did that eye thing before he smirked, "Do you need me to explain all the _fun_ bits, too?"

"Then how the fuck did I get this?" She practically screamed, holding up her left hand for his inspection.

Damon gaped at it before looking down at his own left hand. Sure enough, there was a silver band around his ring finger. He looked back up at her as his eyes widened, "Well, shit. That's new."

"YOU THINK?" Elena jumped out of the bed, wrapping the sheet tight around her naked frame as she fumed, "What the fuck are we going to do?"

He shook his head, "For all we know, we just bought the rings. We need to find the marriage certificate to see if this actually happened or not."

"I-I just need to call Caroline," she muttered as she reached for her phone. Unlocking the screen, she shrieked at the picture that was now her wallpaper.

"What's wrong?" He asked, worried as he rushed over to her.

"We're really married," she said dryly as she showed him her phone, "And I don't even know my last name."

Sure enough, there they both were in a chapel with smiles plastered on both of their faces. Elena was wearing a white cocktail dress and a veil while Damon was in jeans and a suit jacket over a white shirt. Caroline was standing behind them with a man with forest green eyes as they all smiled at the camera.

"So, Stefan _was_ there," he deduced as he grimaced, "And here I thought he would've stopped me from marrying someone when I was drunk."

"Stefan?" She questioned, pointing to the man in the photo.

"Yeah, my little bro," he sighed, "So much for bros before hoes."

Elena blanched, "Excuse me? Am I supposed to be the hoe in this situation?"

"Well, you did sleep with me on the first date," he smirked.

"And we were married!" She quipped back before she sank onto the bed, "Holy shit, we're _married_."

"So, what do you want to do today, _wifey_?" Damon asked as he sat down next to her with a plop.

She stared at him, "How the hell are you so calm about this? You and I are _married_. Like, husband and wife. Until death do us part."

"We'll get an annulment," he waved his hand as if it were nothing, "I'll draw something up and we'll go our separate ways. Piece of cake."

She nodded, seemingly relieved for the moment, "Let's go get breakfast. I'm starving and there's no use worrying about something that can be fixed."

* * *

"Elena! There you are!"

Elena and Damon turned towards the sound of Caroline's voice. They hadn't even been sitting at their table for five minutes before she managed to find them.

"You two totally took off last night," she bubbled as she took the empty seat next to Elena, "Stefan and I were so worried! I'm so glad you're okay."

Damon snorted, "Speaking of Saint Stefan, where is he?"

"I left him in bed," the blonde blushed, "You two weren't the only ones that had a fun night. Oh!" She looked at Elena, "And I added Damon and Stefan to the guest list for the rehearsal and the wedding. Jenna didn't mind."

"Great," Elena mumbled, still looking over her menu and trying to find something that wouldn't make her vomit with all the alcohol still left in her stomach.

"Are you all ready to order?" A waitress said as she came over and batted her eyes at Damon.

Elena couldn't help the feeling of possessiveness that came over her as she watched the shameless flirting that the woman was engaging in.

"Yes, I'll have bacon and eggs with orange juice and my wife will have the same," he answered smoothly, hardly giving the waitress a second glance.

"Y-yes sir," she stuttered as she wrote down the order and looked over at Caroline, "And for you, ma'am?"

"Two orders of the chicken fried steak and potatoes, please."

"Coming right up," the waitress said as she sauntered away.

Stefan seemed to appear out of nowhere as he took the seat next to Damon, "What'd I miss?"

"They're being all lovey dovey," Caroline answered as she looked between Damon and Elena, "He called her his _wife_."

Stefan laughed, "We'll that is what she is," he turned to Damon and punched him lightly in the shoulder, "How are you feeling now that you're a married man?"

"Peachy keen, jellybean," Damon answered, "But we're getting this annulled ASAP."

Stefan's eyes widened as he shook his head, "Damon, you can't. Don't you remember anything from last night? You called Dad and asked permission before you guys did it."

"Wait, so we're stuck in this?" Elena asked, her voice cracking with anxiety, "No divorce, annulment, anything?"

"Damon's a good guy, Elena," Caroline tried to reassure her, "I wouldn't have signed as a witness if I didn't think so!"

"You shouldn't have let me get married at twenty-one! Oh my God, Care! You know better!"

Damon's eyes met Elena's over the table and gave her a look of sympathy, "I'm sorry you got dragged into this. I'll speak with my father and see if I can work something out, okay?"

She nodded as tears filled her chocolate orbs. This couldn't be happening to her. Her aunt was supposed to be getting married, not her.

* * *

"I need to call Dad. Now," Damon said as soon as he and Stefan were alone. The girls had went for some last minute planning with Jenna and Damon had managed to hold it together until they were gone and he was safely tucked away in Stefan's hotel room. He sighed, running his hand through his messy black locks, "He's gotta let me out of this. It was just a drunken mistake. She doesn't even want to be married to me!"

Stefan sighed, "He made it perfectly clear that if you married Elena, you stayed married. I believe your exact words were 'I'll love this little kitten until my heart stops'. So, obviously, you liked her a lot."

Damon cursed and resisted the urge to break something. He took a deep breath before facing his brother again, "Why didn't you stop me? Why didn't you tell Dad it was a bad idea?"

"You told me that if I said anything to compromise your marriage that you'd never speak to me again," Stefan said, his lips in a tight line, "I'm pretty sure Elena said something similar to Caroline. You two were so sure of each other that no matter what we would've said, you would've ignored us any way."

Damon collapsed onto the couch in Stefan's hotel room and buried his face in his hands, "I'm twenty-eight and married. What the hell! I was supposed to be a bachelor for-"

"For what?" The younger man cut him off, "Forever? Damon, it's about time that your lifestyle settled down a little. And it's not like you got the short end of the stick; Elena is gorgeous. You got lucky in the wife department."

"But what if she wants kids? What if I'll be a bad husband? What if she doesn't want to live on the West Coast?" Damon rattled off questions faster than Stefan could keep up with, "There's so many things wrong with this and I-I don't want to take her life away from her because of a fucked up mistake in Vegas."

Stefan's gaze softened as he sat next to his brother, "You obviously care about her. Just try talking to her and see if you can sort everything out. I doubt she's after our money, if she was she'd be a lot more excited about being your wife."

"She doesn't even know my last name," Damon snorted before correcting himself, "Well, her last name."

"See? I bet she's one of the good ones," Stefan reassured him, "You've got a lot of good qualities, Damon." He smiled before nudging his brother's shoulder with his own, "Just put on the _Salvatore charm_ and she'll be glad she married you."

* * *

"Earth to Elena!" Caroline called, snapping her fingers in front of the brunette's face, "Are you even listening?"

Elena shook her head, shaking away the thoughts of actually being married, "I'm sorry, what, Care?"

"Look, I know you're worried about everything that's going on with Damon, but don't be," Caroline sighed, "I told you, he's a good guy. I wish you remembered last night; you two had such a spark and it was practically love at first sight. I swear, we were all in a _Disney_ movie or something. You and Damon, Stefan and me. Just, wow."

Elena smiled, picking her orange juice she had taken to-go and taking a sip, "You and Stefan? Really? Care, I'm so happy for you!"

"I know, it's sudden. I just broke up with Tyler, but Stefan just took me by surprise," the blonde said dreamily, "If Stefan asked me to marry him right now, there would be no hesitation. Ugh, I'm such a lovesick idiot."

"You deserve to be happy," Elena said, taking her friends hand and squeezing it softly, "And if Stefan makes you happy, I'm not going to begrudge you that."

"So, we need to talk about Damon," Caroline said, tapping her nails against the table, "You need a game plan. I know that your first instinct is to throw up defenses, but you let him in last night and he seemed to really get you. Think of this as like a…test run! Don't bring up divorce or anything, just go with the flow. Give it like a month and if you're still miserable, then you can do something about it."

Elena looked at her friend wearily, "A whole month? But-"

"No buts, Elena!" Caroline scoffed, "You need fun in your life and what's one measly month? You owe that to yourself to see if you can be happy with Damon."

"One month," Elena nodded, "I can do a month."

* * *

"Are you sure you should be drinking before noon?" Elena said with a smile as she came up behind Damon at the hotel bar.

She had been wandering about after her talk with Caroline and she wasn't sure how to break her little proposal to him just yet. Most of her brain thought living with a complete stranger for a month was a horrible idea, but another part, the part that thought Damon was ridiculously attractive, thought that maybe this crazy idea could work. They _had_ decided to get married after all.

Damon turned and gave her a half smile in return, "It's never too early for a drink, Mrs. Salvatore."

"Ah!" She exclaimed as she took the empty seat beside him, "So that's my new last name." She giggled, waving down the bartender and asking for a water.

"No alcohol?" Damon asked slyly as he downed his own amber liquid before motioning for another.

She snorted, "Alcohol is what got us into this little mess. I think I'll stay sober for awhile if you don't mind." She looked up at him from under her dark lashes, noticing just how beautiful he really was. Dark stubble adorned his cheek as his raven hair was mussed carelessly. But his eyes are what made her heart nearly stop. They were such a unique shade of blue and they were just so mesmerizing.

"Yeah, about that," he ran his hand through his dark locks and ruffled it even further, "I think I'm going to have to wait to talk to my father until I go home. I know you want to resolve this as soon as possible, but-"

"Actually, I want to try something first," she said shyly as his blue eyes took her in. She fidgeted for a moment before taking a deep breath, "We obviously got married for a reason, right? Well, what if we try to do the whole 'married' thing for a month and if it doesn't work out, then we'll figure it out and go our separate ways."

He thought it over, his hand stroking his chin thoughtfully as the wheels in his mind turned. Finally, he smiled, "So, you want to pretend to be married for a month? Then, if it doesn't work out, we'll just walk away? No strings or anything like that?"

"No strings attached. Promise," she nodded.

He smiled, "All right. I like deals," he sipped his drink, "We should probably learn more about each other, right?"

"I suppose," she smiled, "You go first. Give yourself a mini biography."

Damon clinked his fingers against his glass before starting, "I was born in New York, but my family moved to San Francisco when I was ten. My father is a lawyer, as am I. I returned to New York for school and I graduated from Columbia at the top of my class with honors. I've never been married, no kids either. Stefan and my father are my only family, our mother passed away a few years after moving here."

"I'm so sorry," she blurted out, putting her hand on his arm and rubbing it reassuringly.

"It's fine. It was a long time ago," he said with a sad smile, "I love to cook. I currently live in SanFran. Oh, and I'm twenty-eight. I think that's about everything."

Elena nodded her head as she digested the information. He was a handsome lawyer from San Francisco; maybe _drunk Elena_ had a hidden agenda. No, she would never marry for anything but love. Even being intoxicated, she wouldn't have broken that rule.

"Well, I was born in Virginia, in a small little town that my family has lived in for generations. I work for a local newspaper, writing articles that hardly anyone reads. I've been taking a few classes at the community college while I wait for my inheritance to kick in so I can actually afford to go to college like I want to. I've always wanted to go to The University of Southern California, but I've just been waiting and saving money for it-"

"Did your parents cut you off or something? Are you waiting for your trust fund to kick in?" Damon asked, his face showing his confusion.

She ran her hand through her hair nervously, "Actually, my parents died when I was sixteen. They were in a car accident and what they left my brother and me was used for survival. My aunt Jenna, the one getting married, has been managing everything and making sure that everything's in order for when I turn twenty-two. Then, I figured that I'd move away and get my education, it just helps to get all the basics out of the way first."

He nodded, talking her hand that was sitting on the bar, "I'm really sorry about your parents. They raised a really great daughter."

"Thank you, but it was a long time ago," she whispered, repeating his words from her own apology. She looked into his eyes and saw the concern and love that seemed to radiate from him in almost a comforting way. She looked away, clearing her throat, "So, I think that's about it for Elena Gilbert, er, Salvatore."

He smirked, "Elena Salvatore. I like the sound of that."

"Yeah, yeah," she laughed, taking another drink of her water, "So, why're you here? I mean, in Vegas."

"You really were drunk last night, weren't you?" He joked playfully, "I'm friends with Ric. We went to college together and we've kept in touch ever since. So, meeting you was kind of like fate in a way."

"Fate? You don't even know if you like me yet!"

He shrugged, "Well, we have a month to figure it out. Speaking of that, I have a request."

"And that would be?" She asked hesitantly, worried about what he could possibly request in their seemingly simple deal.

He paused for a second before he let out a breath, "Can the month start when we get back to my home in SanFran? I don't want to waste those days here. We can still do the whole married thing while we're here, I just don't want you to start counting down the days until your freedom before we leave here."

"Sounds reasonable," Elena smiled, "We'll wait. But, what makes you think I'm going home with you after all of this is over?"

"I'm a lawyer, therefore I have clients that I need to consult with and such. And you already made a point of telling me that 'hardly anyone' reads your articles anyway," he smirked, taking the last drink of his glass before pushing it forward on the counter, signaling he was finished, "So, you'll come home with me and it will be like a month long vacation. I'll make sure you enjoy yourself," he winked, his eyes doing that thing that nearly makes Elena melt.

"Cocky much?" She asked, biting her lower lip gently.

"Very much," he answered as he stood and offered her his hand, "I believe we have a rehearsal to get to."

* * *

The rehearsal dinner went off without a hitch. Jenna and Alaric were as happy as could be with how their wedding was turning out so far. Damon was the perfect gentleman to Elena all night, making sure that she was well taken care of and never left alone for too long.

As they both made their way up to her hotel room, she stopped outside of the door and stared at him shyly, "I-I'm not sure if you plan on staying here tonight, but-"

"I know you're still trying to get comfortable with me, Elena," Damon said softly as he brushed the hair from her face and allowed his hand to linger against her cheek, "I wouldn't want to jeopardize that by staying with you when you're not ready."

She laughed, turning away and sliding her key card into the door. She opened the door and turned back to look at him, "I was actually going to offer that you stay with me, but if you're so set on being noble, I'm sure we can wait-"

Elena was cut of with a squeal as Damon scooped her up bridal style and carried her into the room, kicking the door shut behind him.

"And I'm sure you know that I would never turn down the opportunity to sleep next to my beautiful wife," he smirked, softly setting her down on the bed.

They both got into more comfortable clothes before snuggling under the covers, facing each other. Elena couldn't stop staring; she wanted to memorize every part of him. His blue eyes returned her gaze as if he were drinking her in.

"When are we leaving here?" She asked lightly, wanting to break the tension that was seemingly coating the air.

He cleared his throat, "We'll leave tomorrow after the wedding. Ric and Jenna are leaving right after the reception for their honeymoon, so I figured that we didn't need to stick around."

"Okay," she nodded, rolling over and reaching for her cell phone on the bedside table, "I need to change my ticket and-"

"I already bought you a new ticket; you don't have to worry about that," he said softly.

"Oh," she said dumbly, "I can pay you back. How much do I owe you?"

He snorted, "You're my wife now, Elena. What's mine is yours, even if it's just for the month. You don't need to pay me back or anything like that."

She swallowed thickly, "Thank you."

Damon smiled and moved closer to her, placing a kiss to her forehead, "You're welcome. Now get some sleep, there's a big day tomorrow."

Smiling, she burrowed closer to him, resting her head on his strong chest as her eyelids began to flutter. She sighed in contentment as his arms wrapped around her, securing her small frame to him. Perhaps she could get used to this; she hadn't felt this safe in such a long time.

"Goodnight," she mumbled sleepily against his chest, her eyes closing and sleep overtaking her in seconds.

He stroked his fingers through her hair and smiled down at her before placing a kiss to the top of her head, "Goodnight, Mrs. Salvatore."

* * *

 **Be sure to leave a review!**

 **~Grace**


	2. Part II

**Hi guys! Here's part two. It all takes place in the duration of a day. I need your help to figure out what Damon's going to do to show Elena that he really wants her there. I need date suggestions, outings, theme parks, beaches, stuff like that! I'm not from the US and I hope my slang and stuff is relevant to the culture.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Part II: The Deal**

"This is where you _live_?" Elena asked in awe, staring at the building that was entirely too large to be considered a simple home. Three stories high and seemingly over embellished with money, this _mansion_ was definitely not where Elena thought Damon would live.

After Jenna and Alaric's beautiful wedding, Damon and Elena had played the part of a loving couple at the reception. She had seemingly fallen into her new routine as easily as breathing, as did Damon. They seemed perfectly comfortable around each other and that in itself was odd for her. She was hardly ever comfortable around other people, even family. Ever since her parents died, she had tried very hard to push people away; if they weren't close, she couldn't mourn them if something happened.

The plane ride from Vegas to California was quick and uneventful and she nearly had a conniption when she realized they were flying first class. Her family hadn't been tight on money by any means, but they always chose to spend moderately. Her parents didn't want her and Jeremy taking anything for granted.

"Yeah, were you expecting something else?" Damon asked teasingly as he grabbed their bags from the trunk.

She shrugged as she followed him into the large house, "I don't know, maybe. Like, maybe an apartment like what you see on TV when you watch shows about San Francisco. But I definitely wasn't expecting _this_."

He set the bags down by the stairs and came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her small waist and resting his chin in the crook of her neck, "Well, I hope you enjoy it. For while you're here, at least," he winked, giving her a squeeze before kissing the top of her head.

"It's beautiful," she admitted softly as she took in the ground floor. Elegance radiated off of every surface and she had no idea how she had gotten so lucky to live here for the time being.

She turned in his arms and placed her hands flat against his chest, smiling slightly, "So, I figured that our 'month' could start tomorrow. You know, waking up here with no disruptions and all that."

Damon smiled back at her, a hint of mischief in his deep blue eyes, "Sounds reasonable."

Damon led Elena up to a bedroom on the second floor and she nearly gasped at how luxurious it looked. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that she could live somewhere like this.

"I'm assuming the silence is a good thing?" He joked as he set her bag down on the bed.

"I-I just don't think I've ever seen a room this big before," she said honestly before correcting herself, "Well, a bedroom this big at least. I mean, bedrooms are mainly for sleeping, but-" she stopped, her face turning red as she realized what other activities could be done in this room.

He smirked, sauntering over to her, "Well, I could always give you a little preview of what else happens in here." He was standing right in front of her and she could nearly feel his breath against her cheek.

Wanting nothing more than to kiss him, she cleared her throat and involuntarily took a step back, "I-I think it's better if you don't. I'd actually like to get to know you before we jump in bed together."

"Who said anything about the bed?" Damon quipped back, amusement dancing in his eyes as he glanced towards the open door of the bathroom, "There's other rooms and other… _surfaces_ that can be christened, you know."

She giggled as she blushed, looking down, "Maybe we should hold off on the sex thing until the end of the month. That way there's no harm if one of us walks away," she shrugged and looked back up at him saucily, "Besides, once you're in bed with me, you won't want to leave."

"Don't I know it," he groaned, stepping forward and placing his hands on her supple hips, "I may not remember much from that night, but I definitely remember how good you felt wrapped around me. And the sounds you make…" He brushed the hair away from her neck and placed a soft kiss on the exposed skin, "Those sounds are enough to drive any man insane."

Elena felt her knees go weak at his words. She had practically forgotten that she had already slept with him because she couldn't remember. But the way he spoke about it made her feel like tearing her mind apart just so she could.

Letting out a shaky breath, she placed her hands on his chest, warning him to keep his distance, "Damon…I really want to get to know you before we do _that_ again. And I'd actually like to be sober this time."

He smiled, "You wish is my command, kitten." Moving around the room, he loosed the tie he had been wearing and pulled it off before chucking it in the dirty clothes bin. Turning to her, he extended his hand, "Come on, I think it's time for some lunch and some…what do you call it? Ah! Conversation."

"You're incorrigible," she sighed before smiling at him and accepting his hand.

* * *

"Favorite color?" Elena asked after swallowing a mouthful of macaroni and cheese that Damon had graciously made them.

He seemed to think about it for a second before he replied, "Blue, yours?"

"Green," she answered, shoveling another spoonful of food in her mouth. She looked around his kitchen, taking in every little detail. It seemed as if his entire house had been designed for a family, yet there wasn't one in sight. She cleared her throat, "So…you said you've never been married before, but-"

"But, my home looks 'family friendly'?" He asked, a sad smile gracing his handsome face, "I was engaged once, but it ended badly. She cheated on me with my business partner and I kicked her out. I have no patience for cheaters. This house was going to be my wedding present to her, but now it's just mine."

"I'm sorry that happened to you," she said softly, gazing into his electric blue eyes. She reached out, taking his large hand in hers, "Just so you know, I'm not a cheater. Never have been, never will be."

Damon squeezed her hand softly, "I know. I don't think I would've married you if I thought otherwise."

She smiled softly before she jumped into the next question, "Enough of the sad stuff. What's your favorite book?"

"Promise not to laugh?" He asked, eyeing her hesitantly. When she nodded, he returned her smile, " _Gone With the Wind_. It's a classic."

"It is," she agreed, "I've always enjoyed it. But I'm more partial to _White Fang_ by Jack London. I don't know, it just speaks to me."

* * *

Time passed as they slowly got to know each other. He was full of surprises and even though he had such a serious job, he was normally happy and carefree. She began to see how she could have fallen in love with him so easily so quickly. He had a whole side of him that she couldn't fathom him having and she liked it.

He seemed to be attentive to her; never pressuring her for anything she wasn't ready for. She knew that she had taken sex off the table, but she couldn't help but feel like he wanted it. What man didn't? He hadn't even kissed her since they'd been here. But, it _had_ only been a day.

After their quick lunch, Damon had to take a conference call in his downstairs office. He told her to explore and he would find her when he was finished.

She wandered through the halls and looked into all the rooms she passed. Silently, she counted three guest bedrooms, four bathrooms, two studies, a library, and another office that Damon wasn't currently occupying. And that was just the ground floor.

Slowly climbing the stairs, she was led past Damon's –their– bedroom. She crept further down the hallway and stopped outside of a closed door. Her interest peaked as she opened the door and peered inside. The room was filled with instruments. A piano sat next to a big window and across the room there were a few guitars and a drum set.

Elena wandered over to the piano, sitting down on the bench and brushing her fingers lovingly over the ivory keys. She hadn't played since her parents died, but the desire was still there. She missed the feeling of creating something beautiful; how her voice was always so intertwined with the sounds she could create with just the delicate strokes of her fingers.

Softly, she began playing a piece she knew by heart; one she had played over a thousand times before. She let herself be absorbed by the music as she slowly began to sing.

 _Shadows all around you as you surface from the dark._

 _Emerging from the gentle grip of night's unfolding arms._

 _Darkness, darkness everywhere. Do you feel all alone?_

 _The subtle grace of gravity, the heavy weight of stone._

For the first time since she was sixteen years old, she sang. Her voice was soft, but precise. She allowed her fingers to drift over the keys, emitting beautiful sounds that reverberated around the room. It felt so wonderful to play, so perfect to feel again. And that's exactly what Damon evoked in her. He made her feel and want to do things that she hadn't done in so long.

 _I will bring a mirror, so silver, so exact._

 _So precise and so pristine, a perfect pane of glass._

 _I will set the mirror up to face the blackened sky._

 _You will see your beauty every moment that you rise._

She played the final notes as she felt a teardrop fall from her eye. She wiped it away slowly and smiled. She had missed this feeling more than she realized. And now she had the opportunity to reclaim it.

"That was beautiful," Damon said from the doorway, causing her to jump and turn around to face him.

"How long have you been standing there?" She asked, an edge of nervousness in her voice. Her hands fidgeted in her lap as she looked him over hesitantly.

He pushed away from the doorway and smiled, walking over to her slowly, "Long enough to know that you lied when you said you didn't do karaoke."

"Hey, I _don't_ do karaoke," she quipped, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, "Singing and karaoke are two very different things. One requires talent, the other requires…vocal cords and the need to embarrass yourself."

He chuckled, "Touché. And you definitely have talent. How long have you been playing?"

"I don't know," she shrugged, "I took lessons when I was younger. Maybe since I was eight, but it all just blurs together sometimes." She looked away, out the window as she took a deep breath, "So do you play? Or is this all just for looks?"

"I play guitar, but that's about it," he answered, noticing her change of demeanor, but not wanting to press it, "I haven't mastered the piano yet, but it's on my list. Maybe you could teach me," he suggested.

"Maybe," she agreed, nodding, "Why don't you play me something, then? It's only fair since you heard me play."

Damon smirked, "I suppose that's fair. But no making fun of my voice," he warned as he grabbed a guitar and sat on one of the chairs in the center of the room, "Not all of us can be blessed to sound like angels."

She blushed, "Just play."

He nodded, smirk still firmly in place as he strummed experimentally a few times. He cleared his throat as he started a soft and sweet melody.

 _Well I heard there was a secret chord, that David played and it pleased the Lord,_

 _But you don't really care for music, do ya?_

 _Well it goes like this: the fourth, the fifth, the minor fall and the major lift._

 _The baffled king composing hallelujah._

Elena's jaw nearly dropped the moment he opened his mouth. She had expected him to be able to play guitar, but not sing. And definitely not sing _like that_. His velvet voice seemed to drip with honey as he sang with ease. She couldn't help but get lost in his voice and she felt as if he was singing just to her. Just to her heart.

 _Baby, I've been here before. I've seen this room and I've walked this floor._

 _I used to live alone before I knew ya._

 _And I've seen your flag on the marble arch and love is not a victory march._

 _It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah._

All she wanted in that moment was to lean forward and place her lips against his. He couldn't have chosen a more perfect song to sing than this. It spoke to both of them, letting them know that they would both put as much effort into the next month as they could. And maybe it would be enough. Maybe they could do this.

 _Hallelujah, hallelujah. Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

"Well, the silence is deafening," Damon teased, a smirk on his face once he finished the song, "If I was that bad, just-"

She couldn't handle it anymore, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his, effectively cutting him off. His lips were so soft against hers and seemed to know exactly how to move in sync with hers. Fireworks seemed to explode behind her eyes and she thought of how she could easily do this for the rest of her life.

* * *

"So, what do you have planned for the next month?" Elena teased as they sat at the dining table for dinner, "You know, to keep me around."

Damon had made pasta primavera and it was the best thing that she had ever eaten before. He had paired it with a white wine that was a perfect combination. Every bite seemed to melt in her mouth.

"What do _I_ have planned?" He asked incredulously, a smirk finding his mouth, "Why is it just my job? Shouldn't you have something planned, too?"

She laughed, "Well, considering I'm on vacation and I've never been to California before, you should plan everything. I don't even know what's here!"

He snorted, "There is such a thing called the Internet. Google 'fun things to do in California'. I'm sure you'll come up with something."

"Since you know how to do it, I'll just leave it to you."

"You're infuriating," he sighed before taking a sip of wine, "Gorgeous, but infuriating."

Once they had finished their dinner, they both took care of the dishes before heading upstairs.

Damon stood awkwardly in the doorway of their room, "Uh, we don't have to sleep together if you don't want to. I mean, I have enough spare bedrooms."

"We've already slept together, Damon," she smiled, taking his hand and leading him into the room, "In more ways than one. I'm sure we can handle this."

They quietly got ready for bed, each one equally shy of the other. Elena hopped into bed first, smiling as Damon watched her.

"What? Am I on your side or something?" She giggled.

Shaking his head, he climbed into bed next to her, "Not at all, kitten. Just admiring how beautiful you look in my bed."

She blushed, scooting closer to him and wrapping her arm around his waist. He responded in the like, wrapping one arm around her slim waist as the other became tucked under his head.

"I'll think of fun stuff to do, I promise," he said softly while he looked down at the brunette beauty he had the honor of having in his arms.

"You better," she mumbled slightly, her eyes already starting to flutter as she pressed a kiss to his chest.

"I will," he replied after a few moments only to discover that she was fast asleep. He pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head before he carefully switched off the light on his bedside table.

Together, they felt whole. Perhaps they didn't need a month to fall in love.

* * *

 **Remember, I need date suggestions! Review with what you want to see them do.**

 **Songs are: You Are The Moon by The Hush Sound and Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley.**

 **Thanks for reading!  
**

 **~Grace**


	3. Part III

**Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

 **Part III: Week I**

"Good morning, my beautiful wife," Damon murmured against Elena's neck.

The sun was peeking through the massive window and illuminating Elena's olive skin beautifully. She looked like a goddess wrapped up in white sheets with her golden skin.

She opened her eyes sleepily, smiling at how it felt to be curled in his strong arms. She sighed in contentment, "Mm, good morning." She rolled over to face him, her doe eyes meeting peaceful blue ones.

Damon cupped her cheek gently, running his thumb along her lower lip, "You're so gorgeous in the mornings." His gaze dropped to her lips and he had an overwhelming urge to kiss her. Leaning in, he placed a kiss to her forehead instead, not wanting to push her just yet.

She smiled, "What do you have planned for today?"

"We're going to Anaheim," he said, smiling back, "Which means we have a plane to catch."

"Mm, what time?" She asked sleepily, rolling onto her back and stretching languidly. Her bones popped as a small moan escaped her lips.

Damon bit back the urges that stirred at her moan. Composing himself, he got out of bed and headed to the bathroom, "Our plane leaves at eight and it's roughly seven thirty now…"

"What?" She jumped out of bed and scrambled around the room, grabbing clothes as she went, "Why did you let me sleep so long? Ugh, move!" She pushed past him and went into the bathroom, closing the door and locking it behind her.

"Hey! This is my bathroom, too!" He yelled half-heartedly through the wooden door.

"Go use another one!" She retorted through the door.

* * *

"Seriously, Damon," she sighed, looking out the window of the private jet he had chartered just for this occasion, "Where are we going?"

Damon smiled at her persistence. He couldn't believe that she hadn't already figured out where he was taking her. Sure, it was a little childish, but it would be fun nonetheless.

"Well, what's there to do in Anaheim?" He asked as he looked over at her expectantly.

She shrugged, "I don't know. I've never been to California. I'm pretty sure I only know about the Golden Gate Bridge." She looked down at the scenery, only able to make out a few tall buildings. She bit her lip, "Can you give me hints or something?"

"Hmm…" he considered. What could not give it away completely? He smiled slightly, "It was built in 1955."

"That doesn't help, Damon. California's old."

"Okay, okay…a famous man, who's now dead, built it and it's worth billions today."

Elena huffed. Maybe hints were a bad idea. She had no idea where he was taking her and each hint only made it worse. Her knowledge of California was worse than nonexistent.

"This is the last hint," he warned, slightly amused that she hadn't managed to get it yet, "Their mascot is…a mouse."

Damon watched her eyes widen almost comically at his words. A smile lit up her face as she screeched, "You're taking me to Disneyland?"

"Finally!" He said in mock exasperation, "Yes, we're going to Disneyland so you'd better be ready to ride rides and eat overpriced food."

"I've never been to Disneyland before," she said softly as she looked at him happily, "Thank you."

"You're welcome, kitten."

* * *

Elena was slightly miffed that Damon wouldn't allow her to buy her own ticket, but she finally caved when she realized that her arguing would get her absolutely nowhere.

"You're my wife," he said confidently, "What's mine is yours, and therefore, you actually did pay for your ticket. Just not out of your personal bank account."

"Personal bank account?" She squeaked back, looking up at him confused as they waited to get into the Happiest Place On Earth.

"Well duh," he scoffed, handing the employee both tickets and walking through the turnstile, "You're living with me for a month and I won't be around twenty-four hours a day to make sure you're taken care of. I'd sleep better knowing that you had access to a fully stocked account."

Elena smiled, going through the turnstile and grabbing a park map before following him down Maine Street, "How do you know that I don't just want you for your money?"

"The fact that you didn't know I had money before we got married," he quipped back, wrapping a protective arm around her waist as he kissed the top of her head, "So, what do you want to do first?"

She opened the map and looked at it, loving how colorful it was. Scrunching up her face, she turned to him, "Where are we on here? What're we closest to?"

Unwinding his arm from her waist, he took the map from her and studied it. Smiling he pointed to where they were, "We're here. So, the closest things are Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. You thinking futuristic or fantasy?"

"Hmm…let's go to Tomorrowland!" She smiled widely, dragging him towards their destination.

Damon watched happily as her brown eyes widened in excitement. The way she looked at everything in such wonder was enough to make his heart melt.

"Damon! Come on!" Elena yelled, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards one of the rides, "I want to ride Space Mountain!"

He chuckled, allowing him to be dragged along with her, "Just don't throw up on me, okay? This ride goes pretty fast and it's in the dark. Wouldn't want to mess up your equilibrium."

"Or your expensive shirt," she mumbled as they reached the front of the line.

He cocked an eyebrow at her, "What was that, little lady?"

"Nothing," she smiled brightly, getting on her tiptoes and pressing a soft kiss to his cheek.

"That's what I thought."

* * *

"Oh!" Elena squealed, pulling him into a shop on the cusps of Fantasyland, "I want a pair of ears!"

"Last time I checked, you had ears, kitten," Damon quipped back, smiling as she glowered at him.

"Not human ears! I want mouse ears," she smiled as she began digging through what the store had to offer. She tried on more than he could count and she let out a disgruntled sigh at the last pair, "I don't like any of these."

Furrowing his brows, Damon went to another part of the large store, focusing on the park's anniversary pieces. Plucking up a pair of blue and black sequined Minnie Mouse ears, he made his way back to his wife. Extending his hand with a smile on his face, he said, "What about these, kitten?"

Elena turned and a smile lit up her face as she saw what he was holding. Grabbing them from his hand, she immediately placed them on her head, staring in the mirror with glee, "These are perfect! And they even match your eyes."

Smirking, he did that eye-thing that nearly made her swoon, "I know."

* * *

"I don't think I could eat another bite," Elena groaned, pushing away her half eaten Monte Cristo sandwich.

Damon had insisted that they stop for lunch at Café Orleans. Thinking that a sandwich would be just right, she was more than surprised when her meal came to her.

"Their portions are on the bigger side here," Damon laughed, eating away at his own sandwich.

"We could've shared this!" She gaped, gesturing to her half eaten food.

He shook his head, motioning to his now empty plate, "Sorry, if we would've shared, you would've went hungry."

"Yeah, well, next time they should warn someone how big something is," Elena huffed.

"That's what she said," he quipped back, laughing when she turned red as a stop sign.

"Not funny," she muttered.

"A little funny," he replied before taking the map out of his pocket and handing it to her, "What's next, Pocahontas?"

Elena laid the map out on the table, her brows furrowed as she located their location. Skimming over it, she realized that they had already down everything in New Orleans Square and she wanted to head somewhere new. Smiling she pointed to a new land, "Do you want to go to Adventureland? There's-"

"The Indiana Jones' ride is there," Damon said, excited, "You liked Space Mountain, so I know you'll love it. Come on." He took her hand after slapping some money down on the table for their meal.

Elena tried to keep up with him, she really did, but his legs were much longer than hers.

"Damon! Hold on, I can't walk that fast," she whined, trying to catch up with him.

Stopping in front of her he crouched down slightly and held out his arms behind him, "Hope on, kitten."

"You're joking, right?" She asked skeptically, "I'm too heavy!"

"Get on before I throw you over my shoulder."

Fighting what her mind was telling her, she hopped on to his back, squealing when he stood up and began walking again.

"See? You're light as a feather, babe," he mocked, carrying her past all the shops along the way.

"People are staring, Damon," she whispered, trying to avoid the people looking at her.

Damon snorted, "They're just jealous that they're not married to such a beautiful woman."

Smacking his chest lightly, she giggled. For the first time in a long time she felt carefree.

* * *

The sun was gradually going down and Damon and Elena were perched in front of the castle waiting for the fireworks to begin. She had given up trying not to appear tired and was leaning against Damon while his arm was wrapped around her shoulders.

"So, what do you think of Disneyland?" He asked softly, watching her intently.

She smiled and looked up at him, "It's more than I ever thought it would be. It's so fun and everyone is just so happy."

"Good choice for our honeymoon?" He asked slyly as her eyes widened in shock.

"Our h-honeymoon?" She stuttered out, looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

Shrugging, he replied, "Well yeah. This is our first real trip together as husband and wife. I thought it would be fitting to call it our honeymoon."

Thinking for a second, Elena felt herself agreeing. Sure, they weren't married in the usual way, but she felt something for him and that was good enough for her. Smiling at him, she nodded, "Best honeymoon ever." She tilted her face towards him and he didn't hesitate to brush his lips against hers just as the fireworks exploded above them.

* * *

"Damon, I'm perfectly capable of walking," Elena chided sleepily as Damon carried her up to their bedroom.

Elena had been running on reserve energy the moment they sat down to watch the fireworks, but she was too stubborn to admit it. Clutching her small body to his chest, Damon felt a sense of pride overwhelm him at being able to take care of her like this.

"Since you fell asleep on an hour plane ride, I'll have to argue with you, honey," he teased her gently, securing her more tightly to his broad chest, "Besides, if that was really our honeymoon then I was supposed to carry you across the threshold anyway."

"Smartass," she mumbled, her eyes sliding closed.

He chuckled, "Yeah, but you lo-like me." His crystal eyes widened momentarily, hoping that he hadn't ruined what a good day that they had been having.

Smiling at his slip up, she peeked at eye at him as her voice was heavy with sleep, "Yeah, I like you."

"Good," he murmured, carrying her into their bedroom and laying her on the bed. She clung to him, forcing him to pry her fingers from his shirt as he laughed softly.

Without thought, he took off her clothes and shoes before slipping one of his shirts over her head. She cuddled under the covers making him smile at how relaxed she seemed to be with him.

Gazing down at the brunette beauty in his bed, Damon couldn't believe that they were actually married. He could get used to sharing his life with her if that's what she wanted.

Stripping out of his clothes, he pulled on a pair of silk pajama pants before sliding into the bed beside her. Feeling his presence, Elena turned over and cuddled against him, nuzzling her face against his bare chest. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, breathing in all that was Elena.

"Damon?" He heard her voice dripping in sleep and smiled softly.

"Yes, kitten?"

"Thank you for taking me to Disneyland," she yawned, burrowing her face in the crook of his neck, "I like you."

He chuckled, stroking her hair softly as her breathing evened out. Pressing a kiss to the top of her head as he whispered, "I like you, too, baby. A lot more than I thought I would."

* * *

When Damon woke up the following morning, he was a little disappointed to find his bed empty. Reaching out, he realized that the sheets were still somewhat warm and he knew she couldn't have gotten too far.

He lay in bed, reflecting about how perfect the day before had been. Elena had been so carefree and happy that it seemed to make his heart swell. Disneyland had been a wonderful idea for a first date, but now he had to try to top it with romance.

Suddenly, the smell of bacon assaulted his senses and his mouth began watering. His little minx was actually cooking breakfast; a woman hadn't done that for him since his mother.

Carefully climbing out of bed, he slunk down the hardwood stairs, eager to get a glimpse of his wife. Stopping in the doorway, he tried to contain his laughter at the scene before him.

Elena was trying, and failing, to make pancakes. The batter was all over the counters and, by extension, her. His eyes traveled to the clean parts of the counters and noticed that a heaping pile of bacon and eggs sat on two separate dishes, having already been completed.

He smiled, noticing that she was still only wearing his shirt that he had changed her into he night before. Something about seeing his wife in his clothes made him want to violate her against the kitchen floor, screw the mess it would cause.

"Stupid pancakes," he heard her mutter as she grabbed the box of mix, "I'm never doing this again." She opened the cabinet near the stove and reached on her tiptoes to put the box back in place, but the box was having none of that. Slipping out of her hands, the box fell to the floor with a thud but not before coating her in the powdery mixture.

Damon burst out laughing.

Spinning around to face him, her skin blushed immediately, "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to know that we need to buy a stepstool for this kitchen if you're going to be cooking," he forced out between bouts of laughter.

Elena covered her face in her hands, "I was just trying to do something nice."

"Oh, baby," he sighed, wiping away his tears of laughter as he went to her, holding her tightly against his chest, "This is more than nice. Eggs and bacon are great, okay?"

Uncovering her face, she looked up at him with big doe eyes and he had to try not to laugh at her pancake mix covered face, "Promise?"

"I promise," he nodded, pressing a kiss to her forehead, "Besides, I don't really like pancakes anyway."

* * *

 **Be sure to leave a review!**

 **~Grace**


	4. Part IV

**Thank you all for your feedback on the last chapter! It means so much to me that you all are Enjoying it. I hope you all like this chapter as well!**

 **And this is a few hours early...so enjoy :)**

* * *

 **Part IV: Week II**

"Damon!" Elena squealed through fits of laughter as she ran towards the shoreline, "I can't swim!"

Damon laughed, following behind her as he treaded through the shallow water of the ocean, "That's why we're here! I'll teach you how to swim and then we'll spend the next few days in the water!"

Just shy of a week after their Disney trip, Damon decided to take a few more days off of work and take his wife to Malibu. He had thought this would be a bad idea when Elena revealed that she didn't know how to swim, but instead he seized it as a bonding opportunity.

He had been chasing her along the shore and trying to coerce her into stepping a foot in the water, but so far it was a no go. She'd run away and beg him to chase her and, of course, he would.

"Come on, kitten," he begged, a small smirk forming on his lips, "If we want to take surf lessons tomorrow, then you have to know how to swim."

" _Surf lessons_?" She parroted, her eyes lighting up in excitement.

He nodded enthusiastically, encouraged by her positive response, "Uh huh. I booked us a private lesson for ten tomorrow and daylight's waning, baby. So get your cute little butt in the water before I toss you in."

"You wouldn't," her eyes narrowed as her face scrunched up in the cutest pout that Damon had ever seen before.

"You asked for it, baby."

Before Elena knew what was happening, he had her in his arms, lifting her over his shoulder as he stomped back to the water.

Giggling, she tried to protest as she smacked her fists halfheartedly against his back, "Damon! What if I drown? What if a shark eats me? What if-"

"What if the Loch Ness Monster swallows you whole?" He quipped back with mock horror, "What ever would I do?"

"Don't be an ass!" She scolded, "Sharks are real!"

He rolled his eyes as he smacked her swimsuit clad behind gently, "If a shark eats you, then I'll simply eat the shark, okay? Food chain and whatnot. Damon Salvatore if definitely at the top of _that_ list."

Her retort was cut off as he threw her into the water, laughing as she came up sputtering and spitting like a wet cat.

"How dare you!" She screeched, her brown eyes wide with anger, "I could've died!"

"Highly unlikely considering the water there is about, I don't know, five feet deep," he snorted, slightly amused at her anger, "All you had to do was stand up and bam! You won't drown."

Mumbling to herself, she decided to ignore him as she waded around the shallow area getting a feel for the water. Water had always scared Elena since the accident with her parents, but she didn't want Damon to think she was weak. She had left out the part about being in the car with them when they went over Wickery Bridge and she didn't want to bring it up _now._

"Well," she started, turning to him and smiling brightly, "You going to teach me how to swim or what?"

* * *

When dusk finally hit, Elena had seemed to master the basics of swimming. She felt better knowing now she had a fighting chance in the ocean rather than sinking like a rock.

Damon led her back to the small loft they had rented on the beach, smiling at how wonderful the day had been. He couldn't help but be in awe at the thought of her trusting him enough to not let her drown. She had trusted him with her life, literally.

The inside of the loft was decorated in soft blues and bright whites, leaving the pair with a very beach-y feel inside the loft and out. He had made sure to make up a spare room incase she wanted her own, but she surprised him once again by sharing his bed.

"Are you hungry?" Damon asked as he walked into the small living room to see her curled up on the white couch with a book. He smiled at how content she looked and he wished that they could stay her for longer than a few days.

She looked up at him, her doe eyes focusing on him as a small smile curled on her lips, "Yeah, I'm kind of hungry. What did you have in mind?"

"Well, the fridge isn't really stocked," he shrugged, "But there's a restaurant near here we could go to if you feel up to going out."

"Okay," she nodded, setting her book down on the coffee table in front of her, "So, is this 'restaurant' dressy or casual? And do I have time to get ready?"

Damon looked down at his watched and smirked, "I made reservations for seven and it's only five now, so you should have plenty of time. And dressy would be a good call." He made his way to the back of the couch and peered down at her happily.

She smiled brightly, "How did you know I'd say yes to going out tonight?"

"Because I know my _wife_ ," he said softly, bending down and placing a kiss to the top of her head.

* * *

Dinner had consisted of pasta and wine, much to Elena's delight. The restaurant that Damon had decided on was beachside, much like their loft. They sat on the terrace outside and talked about nothing and everything, making both of them realize just how much the couple actually had in common.

When they made it back to the loft, they were curled up on the couch looking every bit of the married couple that they actually were. They had changed out of their more formal clothes and she had slipped into her pajamas as he put on a simple pair of sleep pants. She looked up at him and smiled, "I had a really nice time tonight. Thank you."

He smiled genuinely back at her and kissed her forehead, "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

She studied his face closely, more than interested in what she saw. His eyes were so blue that they rivaled the ocean and Elena wouldn't mind drowning in them. Just as she was about to tilt her face closer to his and capture his lips, his phone buzzed in his pocket, breaking the spell that had been thrown over them.

"I'll let you get that," she said softly, lifting herself out of his embrace as he pulled out the phone.

"It'll just take a second," he assured her, "It's for my case on Tuesday."

She nodded as she wandered out of the room to give him privacy. She stared out the bay window in the kitchen, watching how the sun was kissing the shoreline as the sunlight was flittering away.

Throwing on a light shawl, she made her way outside. The sand slid between her toes and made her smile as she took a seat on the beach closest to the water without getting wet.

The ocean had always mesmerized her. The thought of such a large body of water moving together and creating something so beautiful had fascinated her. In Mystic Falls, they didn't really have a beach. They had the falls and the swimming hole, but not fresh salt water like this. Her parents had taken her and Jeremy to the Myrtle Beach once and one of her favorite memories was when the salt would dry on her body after swimming. It was a feeling unlike any other.

The water lapped at her toes lightly, causing her to smile as she drew her knees against her chest. The sun had become a beautiful array of pinks, yellows, and oranges, causing Elena to think about drinking a Sex on the Beach.

She giggled at the irony of such a thought as she sat alone on the beach waiting for her _husband._ Damon was her husband and for once in her life, her instinct had been completely wrong about him. He was arrogant at times, yes. But for the most part he was sweet and kind and always attentive to her. He seemed to want this marriage to work out and part of her was happy.

She could see herself with him twenty years from now. She could see herself having a little family with him and being happy to be his wife. It had almost been two weeks since their arrangement and Elena felt herself slipping more and more into comfort around him. She didn't have to hide who she was; she could be silly and crazy and he still looked at her like she was the sun in his life.

Suddenly she felt arms wrap around her from behind as Damon sat behind her and pulled her between his legs. He tucked her head under his chin as he stared out at the horizon with her.

"You know, I could spend every day like this," he said softly, squeezing her small body closer to him, "You and me and the beach."

Elena smiled, running her fingertips lightly up and down his leg that was against her, "I could, too. Being here makes me happy and it's so beautiful."

"Not nearly as beautiful as you," he whispered against her ear, causing her to shiver slightly.

They had been close since they arrived in California, but this was the most intimate position they had been in. She couldn't help how being in his strong arms always made her feel so safe. He made her forget about her life in Mystic Falls and made her want to stay with him.

"We're almost to the halfway point," Damon mused lightly as the last flickers of sunlight were slowly disappearing, "Have I lived up to your expectation as the perfect husband yet?"

"Damon…"

Instantly he backtracked, "You don't have to give me an answer now, I just wanted to make sure I'm doing everything I can to make sure you're happy with me. If there's something-"

Elena turned in his arms, her bright doe eyes staring happily into his blue depths, "Damon, I'm happy. You've gone above and beyond to make sure that you're taking care of me and I appreciate it. You…you make me happier than I've been in a long time."

He smiled at her, kissing her softly. When their lips met it was as if the world had stopped once again. His kisses were like a drug to her and she couldn't seem to get enough. Before she knew it, she was straddling him as he ran his fingers through her mahogany hair and pulling her closer. Their tongues intertwined flawlessly and in that moment she swore that she would never let him go.

* * *

"Put your foot there," Damon said, nudging her foot in the right place, "Yeah, like that. Now, balance your weight evenly on both feet. We don't want you falling into the water."

Elena snorted, "Isn't that why you taught me how to swim? You know, in case I totally biff it and end up inhaling water instead of air?"

He pursed his lips at her, ignoring her comment, "Now, when a wave gets close to you just do what feels natural-"

"Like swimming away from it?" She quipped, a bright smile on her face as she watched his jaw tick in annoyance.

"Elena-" He began, trying to hold in his frustration.

"I was just kidding, hush," she said softly, leaning in and pressing a lingering kiss to his mouth that seemed to alleviate all hints of frustration from his body.

Cupping her cheek, their innocent kiss suddenly turned into something much more heated and it had nothing to do with the California sun beating down on them. He broke away, his breathing ragged as he huskily said, "Would you rather take this back to the loft?"

"Damon!" She squealed, smacking his bare chest as she smiled, "We're not skipping out on surfing just so we can go and make out."

"But making out is just the foreplay, baby," he smiled, his blue eyes flashing deviously at her.

Crossing her arms, she tried to school her smile to look more firm, "And I already told you that there would be no sex. So, unless you plan on getting lucky with your hand, then this conversation is over."

"At least my hand never says no," he mumbled, resuming his actions of showing her what to do.

"What was that?" She asked sharply.

"Nothing, _sweetheart_."

* * *

The rest of the weekend passed in a blur and Elena was saddened that they had to go home.

 _Home_.

She wasn't sure when she had began referring to Damon's house as home, but she liked the sound of it. Damon made her feel safe and happy and she wasn't sure that she wanted to ever go back to Mystic Falls.

When she walked through the door of _their_ home, she smiled. Spending almost a week in Santa Monica had been luxurious to say the least, but she was more than happy to be home.

"I'll be right in, babe," Damon called from outside, "I just have to return a call quick."

She smiled and glanced behind her, "Take your time. I'm going to make some tea."

Wandering into the kitchen, she started brewing a pot of hot water. She reached for a set of glasses and pulled out a couple packets of tea as she spun around and gasped, her eyes falling on a man she hadn't noticed before.

He was seated at the island. His hair was dark with flecks of gray and lines graced his face delicately. He was handsome in his own right and his blue eyes seemed familiar to her.

"You know, when I was alerted of Damon's marriage, I was almost positive that you would be pregnant," the man mused, looking her over as if she were a something to be bought, "Damon doesn't commit easily and, while you're pretty enough, I can't seem to see the allure."

Elena looked at him like a deer caught in the headlights. She had no idea who he was, yet he was sitting in her house like he owned the damn place. Steeling her voice, she managed to get out, "Who are you? How did you get in?"

Ignoring her question, he asked, "Where's Damon? He hasn't tired of you all ready, has he?"

"Damon!" She called towards the front door, trying not to let the desperation seep into her voice. Her tried to avert her eyes from the man, but his blue gaze seemed to pin her in place.

"What?" Damon asked, walking into the kitchen and stopping as his eyes landed on the man.

"Finally," the man said, looking down at his watch, "I've only been waiting for a few hours. Thank you for gracing me with your presence."

Damon grimaced, moving towards Elena protectively as he wrapped an arm around her waist, "Father."

* * *

 **What did you think? Leave a review and let me know!**

 **~Grace**


	5. Part V

**Week 3 is going to be broken up in a few parts. Hope you all don't mind. Also, I'll be going on holiday from Friday to Monday, so I should update all my stories on Tuesday.**

 **Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter V: Week III Part I**

"You're telling me that that _man_ sitting in our kitchen is your _father_?" Elena asked bewildered as she led her husband into the living room.

Giuseppe Salvatore was not a man she liked, not one bit. After insulting her in her own home, well, for the next couple weeks anyway, he had begun ranting at Damon as well. Elena didn't like how he could talk to his son as if he were simply another employee. She didn't know much, anything, about the Salvatores, but from being around Stefan she had assumed that they were a normal family.

"Oh, so it's _our_ kitchen, now?" Damon smirked, trying to make her anger bubble away with his charm, "I like the sound of that."

"Stop changing the subject," she hissed, stamping her foot impatiently.

He sighed, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her flush against his chest, "I'll take care of it. My dad's a little…rough around the edges since my mom died. He thinks it's better if he distances himself from everything that reminds him of her."

Giving into her feelings, she rested her forehead against his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck, "He doesn't like me."

Damon snorted, "He doesn't like anyone."

"Not helping," she pointed out, pulling back just enough so she could gaze into his blue orbs, "But I'll try to behave and not antagonize him. Or give him more of a reason to hate me. He thought you married me because I was pregnant!"

"You're not pregnant though, right?" He asked, worry creeping into his voice slightly.

Elena scoffed, "Well, we used protection, right?"

"You aren't on the pill?" His eyes widened as she shook her head. He attempted to calm himself down before he spoke in a more even voice, "Well, I guess it's good that we're married then. That way if you _are_ pregnant, you and the baby will be secure."

"I doubt I'm pregnant, Damon," she smiled and hugged him closer, "But it's nice to know you'd take care of me and the baby."

He squeezed her lightly, a small smile gracing his lips as well, "I'd take care of you, kitten, and our hypothetical bundle of joy."

* * *

"I'm kind of glad that we didn't have an actual wedding with our families invited," Elena said as she cleaned up the dishes and hauled them to the sink.

Giuseppe had insisted on staying for dinner despite both Elena and Damon's protests. He had sat and talked to Damon about everything that was going on in their firm and what would be expected of him at social gatherings now that he was married. Of course, Elena had tried to tune them out, but she couldn't help but feel that Giuseppe was pressuring her into the life that Damon and her were slowly easing themselves into.

"Oh come on, you wouldn't want my dear old dad showing up and acting like a dictator?" Damon joked, carrying in the leftovers and setting them on the island, "He could have doubled as the wedding planner with how much he barks orders."

"Yeah, that's something that I'm glad we avoided at all costs," she sighed, filling up the sink with water and soap before setting the dishes inside. She looked over at Damon and smiled slightly, "Do you think he'll ever like me? Or will he treat me like this for as long as we're married?"

He turned to her in surprise, his eyebrows almost reaching his hairline, "Is this your way of saying that you want to stat married?"

She fidgeted for a moment, her eyes looking away from him as she spoke gently, "I-I don't know. I mean, everything is going great and stuff, but it's still a lot to take in. But the way your dad talks about your future, _our_ future, it's like there's no room for any questioning. Like it's already set in stone or something."

"That's because in his mind we're staying married for the rest of our lives," he sighed, walking over to her and taking her hands in his large ones, "But he doesn't have a say in our lives If you decide in two weeks that you want to go back to Virginia, then I won't stop you. I'll draw up the divorce papers and make sure that you're taken care of no matter what. I won't let him ruin your life or dictate what you want. I promise."

"Damon…if we decide to get divorced, I'm not taking anything from you," Elena said firmly, her brown eyes determined, "You don't owe me anything."

His eyes softened as he stroked her olive cheek lightly, "What did I ever do right to deserve you? You're kind and selfless. Sweet and funny. And not to mention how beautiful you are inside and out. You…you're everything I've ever wanted in a woman and I have no idea what I did to feel this happiness; even if it's just temporary."

She stared at him, enraptured by how vulnerable he looked. His blue eyes seemed to be an ocean filled with wonder just for her and his mouth was pulled up in that adorable half smile that drove her crazy. She never thought it was possible for her and a man to have so much chemistry, but here she was, trying to refrain from ripping his clothes off. With her _teeth_.

He could see that she was focusing hard on something; her body had become slightly rigid and it seemed as if she were controlling her breathing. He reached for her and cupped her face in his hands, tilting it upwards so he could gaze into the chocolate eyes he had learned to care for. "What're you thinking about, kitten?" He murmured softly, searching her gaze for emotions that he could recognize.

Elena licked her lips nervously, trying to maintain eye contact, "I just, uh." Words seemed to fail her. She was more than moved by the man in front of her; by his generosity, his kindness, and even the sinful way he so casually looked at her. She couldn't take it anymore. She needed him. She needed _more_.

Surprise washed over him as she flung her arms around his neck and pressed her soft lips hungrily against his own. He returned her kisses with fervor; wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her as close as humanly possible against him. He had been waiting for a kiss like this. Sure, the other kisses she had given him had been sweet and he had accepted them happily, but this kiss, _this kiss_ screamed raw passion and lust.

When she could no longer breathe, her mouth broke away from his as she panted. Damon couldn't seem to get enough of her as he trailed kisses across her jaw and down her neck, wanting to taste every inch of her as he could. Her fingers tangled in his hair and was urging him on while pushing him away at the same time; his kisses were sweet torture, she couldn't seem to decide if she wanted more or less.

She moaned out his name when she felt his blunt teeth nip at the base of her throat. She arched against him and gasped when she felt a hardness pressing into her hip that she hadn't felt before. Without a conscious thought, she reached down and caressed him through his jeans, her eyes widening at just _how big_ he actually was.

"Oh, God, Elena," he groaned against her neck before capturing her lips again in a searing kiss. He had imagined her touching him again since the first morning they woke up together. He had wanted nothing more than to make her cry out in pleasure repeatedly until she couldn't talk anymore.

He grabbed the backs of her thighs and hoisted her up, wrapping her legs around his waist as he continued to kiss her senseless. Having her in his arms like this was a dream come true, a dream he never wanted to end.

Damon's hips thrust into her the second she bit down on his lips, causing her to cry out as the rough denim of her shorts bumped her sensitive clit. Before long, she was pushing her own hips against his; trying to desperately find the relief she was looking for.

"What do you want, baby?" He said in a rough voice, his lust showing through as he placed kisses beneath her ear, "What can I do to help you?"

She bucked her hips again, her breathing becoming erratic while her eyes were hooded with lust. She needed to cum and needed to cum _now_. She couldn't reason with her hormones as she all but whimpered, "Touch me. Please, Damon. Please just touch me."

He smirked against her skin before reaching down and unbuttoning her shorts with able fingers. His warm hand slipped inside her panties and he groaned audibly when his hand came in contact with her slick wetness. He heard her muffle a moan as she bit her lip and he looked up to see her eyes closed tightly as she spread her legs wider to accommodate him.

With his free hand, he pulled the jeans off in a second, smiling when he saw that she hadn't even noticed. He set her down on the island as she kept her legs wrapped tightly around his waist, keeping him close to her.

Resuming his earlier ministrations, he stroked her wet slit softly, delighting in the soft sounds that fell from her lush lips. His index finger rubbed tiny circles around her swollen clit as her fingernails bit harshly into his shoulders.

"Ahhh, Damonnn," she moaned, burying her face in his neck as pleasure slowly began to take over, "That feels…sooo good."

He smirked and rubbed her clit faster before plunging two fingers inside her tight sheath. He hissed at how warm and tight she was around him and he couldn't wait until he could actually be inside her. Slowly, he worked his fingers in and out of her as he whispered, "You're _so_ tight, baby. And you're so wet," he bit her neck softly before soothing it with his tongue, "Is all that for me? Is all that delicious wetness for me, baby?"

Elena grabbed him by his hair and nodded fiercely, her brown eyes practically glazed over with lust as she moaned out, "Just for you. Always for you."

He saw him opportunity and crashed his mouth against hers, groaning when she pulled his hair. He hooked his fingers upwards inside of her and she nearly screamed into his mouth when he brushed against the special spot inside of her relentlessly. He felt her thighs shaking and little gasps of air passing through her lips as her orgasm drew nearer.

"Damon…I…I…" she couldn't get out what she needed to say. The coil in the pit of her stomach was so tight that it felt as if _she_ might snap.

Damon pulled away from her mouth and kissed below her ear once more as he murmured, "Come on, baby. Let go for me. Let me feel how tight you get when you cum. Let go so I can taste how good you taste."

He watched as her body became taunt, her mouth opening in a silent scream as her body tightened drastically against his fingers. He felt a rush of fluid before she screamed his name so loud that he was sure that the neighbors could hear.

She collapsed back onto the island, her head hitting the granite with a dull thud, but she was too blissed out to care. Her body was humming with satisfaction as she felt his hand slip out of her sodden panties.

He smiled at the sight of _his wife_ happily lying on the counter. He couldn't help himself as he tugged her panties down her legs, smirking when she didn't seem to care. Grabbing her thighs and lifting them slightly, he pulled her to the edge of the island, positioning his mouth against the insides of her thighs.

Damon delicately licked away the evidence of her orgasm, practically moaning at how good she tasted on his tongue. He paid careful attention to every inch of her wet thighs before he began lapping at her center.

"Damon," she groaned, her voice shaking as she pleaded, "Too sensitive. Hurts…"

Understanding what Elena meant, he avoided her clit and licked softly around her small entrance, being sure to clean her properly while tasting her. He swirled his tongue around her entrance, dipping inside as she bucked her hips against his face. Moving his hands to her hips, he carefully pinned her down and continued licking her. Thinking that she was ready for more, he gently took her clit into his mouth, suckling softly on the swollen flesh.

She felt as if she were in heaven. Her skin was tingling from head to toe and the small triangle between her legs was getting so much love and attention that she as sure that she had died. She could feel his hands on her hips, rubbing small reassuring circles as he ate her out. The feeling of his mouth was unlike any other and it surprised her when she was close to orgasm again already.

Damon could feel a change in her demeanor as she began moaning uncontrollably again. He couldn't help the huge smile that broke out across his face at how responsive she was to him. He had intended to just get a taste; clean her and make her happy before he carried her upstairs. But the little minx had worked herself up to another orgasm and how could he ever deny her?

He kept lapping at her silky treasure relentlessly, happily accepting her fingers in his hair as she secured his mouth against her. Her thighs clamped around his tightly as she let out another deafening scream while her delicious wetness flooded his mouth. He, of course, lapped up every ounce of wetness that she had just for him.

Elena's legs fell slack against the island, her chest heaving as she managed to get out, "Please…no more."

He smiled and straightened himself as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. She was too exhausted to return her legs to his waist, so he shifted her until he was carrying her bridal style. He smiled down at his wife as he carried her upstairs, the dishes and leftovers long forgotten.

When he reached their bedroom, he set her down carefully on the bed before stripping off her shirt and bra. There was nothing sexual as he placed one of his own shirts on her tiny frame, there was only love radiating off of him. He had taken care of her sexual needs and now he felt that she only deserved to be comfortable. He loved taking care of her, it made him feel important.

After changing into his own sleep pants, he pulled down the covers and snuggled in next to her, pulling her to his chest and wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Damon?" She mumbled sleepily, her brown eyes gazing up at him dazed.

He stroked the hair back from her face as he looked down at her lovingly, "Yeah, baby?"

Elena kissed his bare chest softly before she muttered something incoherently as she drifted off into sleep. He sighed and pulled her closer after switching off the light. Having her in his arms was the best thing that ever happened to him. He couldn't let her go. He wouldn't.

* * *

 **What did you think? Leave a review and let me know! :)**

 **~Grace**


	6. Part VI

**We're in the final stretch for this story! Probably 2-3 more chapters left. I hope you all have been enjoying it! I know this is a day early, but I simply had to post!**

* * *

 **Chapter VI: Week III Part II**

Elena woke up feeling more rested than she had in a long time. Her cheeks flushed as she remembered what had happened last night. The feel of Damon's fingers inside her and her mouth on her was enough to make her core begin to ache again. She wiggled her hips slightly to relieve the friction and froze when she realized she was against Damon.

"Mmm," he moaned in his sleep as her butt wiggled against him, pulling her tighter against his chest and burying his face in her hair.

She could feel his morning erection pressing deliciously against her bottom and she bit back the groan that was building in her throat. She knew that they had agreed not to sleep together until they had decided what they were going to do, but her resolve was weakening irrefutably.

Elena had begun to care about him deeply. Spending so much time with him was creating a bond between them and while she wasn't in love with him yet, she knew that she was getting there. She missed him when he wasn't with her and she was sure that meant something.

She would have never agreed to marry him if she didn't care about him in some capacity and now she was realizing just how deep her care for him ran.

"Good morning, beautiful," he murmured against the back of her neck, placing a soft kiss there.

She shivered and arched her back, brushing against his straining cock once more. His fingers dug into her hip to keep himself from thrusting against her.

Elena turned her body to face him so she was laying on her back in his arms, a small smile gracing her full lips, "Good morning, handsome."

His eyes darkened as he saw that his shirt on her had ridden up in her sleep and was now displaying her naked sex to him. He clenched his jaw and reached down to tug the shirt to a modest length as he growled, "You're torturing me…"

She smiled deviously as she took his hand and brought it down to her core, letting his fingers brush against her wet slit, "That's what you're doing to me…"

Damon jerked his hand away, his eyes widening slightly, "One of your rules was that we couldn't have sex. I want to respect you. I need you to know that I plan on living by your rules until you decide otherwise."

"But what if I want this?" She whispered, looking up at him with her big doe eyes, "What if I'm ready for it?"

His face lit up slightly, the possibility of sleeping with _his wife_ enough to make him even harder if it was possible. He took a deep breath and tried to compose himself, "I don't want you to think that I only want you for sex. I married you for you, not your body. I don't want to jeopardize our marriage by sleeping together and having you regret it."

"Please, Damon?" She asked softly, guiding his hand back to her center, "No regrets. I want this and so do you. I just… _I need it_."

His resolve crumbled as he moved to hover her, kissing her hungrily as she moaned into his mouth. She could feel his hard cock against her bare netherlips and she arched into him, needing more friction. She put her feet on his slim hips and pushed his boxers down, relishing in the feel of his naked flesh finally against her own.

The weeping head of his cock was pushing slightly against her entrance as he lavished her in kisses, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her body close to him. He had been waiting for what seemed like forever to make love to her again and he would make sure that it was perfect.

She tangled her fingers in his hair and softly thrust her hips against his, feeling his cock bump her clit softly each time and eliciting a soft moan from her. Worry ripped through her mind as she tore her lips away from his and hazily panted, "Condom. We n-need a condom."

Damon groaned softly and reached over to his bedside table, pulling out a condom. He sat up on his knees between her legs and ripped open the foil packet and rolled the condom onto his hard length.

She gazed at his flesh in all his naked glory and swallowed dryly, "Wow. That's…you're…"

"Shhh, baby," he murmured, positioning himself over her once more, "You didn't have any problems with it last time. In fact, you _loved_ it."

Elena blushed and looked up at him through her dark lashes, "Make love to me, Damon. Please."

He brushed her hair away from her face and kissed her forehead softly. He had the most gorgeous woman beneath him who was begging him to love her. Her chocolate hair was splayed against the pillows and her olive skin was practically glowing in the morning light. Her pink lips were swollen slightly from their kissing, her cheeks tinted a rosy color with her arousal, and her lids were heavy with something that Damon had never seen before. It was more than lust; it was as if she was more than content with being with him and the thought made him swell with pride.

He could feel his cock pushing against her small entrance as he cupped her delicate cheek and looked into her mahogany eyes as he murmured, "I love you, Elena."

Damon pushed inside her gently, smiling as she closed her eyes in pleasure. He could feel her slick walls expanding around him, slowly adjusting to his size once more. Her lips parted and her eyes opened when she felt his pelvis pressing against her, his cock fully sheathed inside of her. He began slowly thrusting inside of her, keeping a soft but firm rhythm that seemed to satisfy her.

"Damon…" she moaned, tangling her fingers in his hair and pulling his mouth to hers in a hungry kiss. Her hips thrust up to meet his, burying his cock a little deeper inside of her each time.

He kissed across Elena's jaw and down her neck before lightly suckling the sensitive skin beneath her ear. He continued to hold her close against his muscular body as he whispered huskily, "You feel so good around me, baby. I could make love to you for the rest of my life and never get tired of it. I love feeling this close to you…"

She couldn't come up with a coherent reply to his sweet words. Soft moans and little gasps passed her lips every time he pushed inside of her. She buried her face against his neck to muffle her cries of pleasure as his thrusts got just a little bit harder. Every thrust pushed against her womb and she couldn't help it as her thighs started shaking with the need for her impending orgasm.

He pulled away slightly to look at her and smiled when he saw her face scrunched up adorably, pleasure written on every faucet. Her hands wrapped around him and he felt her nails bite harshly into his back. He could tell that she was trying to channel the pleasure she was feeling. Brushing his lips against hers, he murmured lovingly, "Let go, baby. Let me hear you; you don't need to be quiet. Cum for me, kitten…"

Elena's eyes snapped open, lust causing them to glaze over as she stared into his ocean eyes. Her lips crashed against his, his mouth swallowing her scream as she drug her nails down his back punishingly.

"Oh my God, Damon!" She cried as she pulled away from his mouth, smaller orgasms wracking her body as he continued to thrust into her, his timing faltering as he got closer to the edge.

She panted below him, enjoying the aftershocks of her orgasm as he thrust inside of her one last time and moaned her name softly. He pressed soft kisses all over her face and neck as he cooed softly, "I love you so much, Elena…"

She wrapped her arms tighter around him, his head lying on her heaving chest. She stroked his damp raven hair softly. She had heard what he said, both times, but she wasn't quite ready to say it back yet and she knew that he understood.

Damon placed a lingering kiss to her lips before getting off of her, smiling when she whined in protest as he slid out of her. Slipping off the condom and chucking it in the waste bin, he rolled on to his back and pulled her tight against his side.

"That was…" she was at a loss for words. She had never felt such a connection with a man before and he had exceeded any and every expectation she had of him.

"I know," he agreed, running his fingers through her long hair with a lazy smile on his face, "You're incredible."

"And hungry," she said cheekily, tilting her face up and looking at him.

"Your wish is my command, kitten."

* * *

A few days had gone by since they had sex for the first time since Vegas and Elena could honestly say that she was happy. Damon had been spending a little more time at work, but he always made it up to her when he got home. Being with him seemed as easy as breathing and she was sure that she would love living in California. She knew that she still had a little over a week to decide if she was staying or not, but as of right now her mind was pretty much made up.

She was throwing some clothes in the washing machine as she felt hands suddenly on her waist from behind. She smiled to herself, her heart starting to flutter, "You're home early."

"Mmm, I couldn't stay away from my wife for too long, now could I?" Damon teased, brushing her hair off of her shoulder and placing soft open-mouthed kisses to the exposed skin, "I miss you when I'm at work and besides, I took a few days off to spend time with you."

Turning around, she kissed him gently, "Are you sure your clients won't be upset? I don't want you to lose a case or anything."

"It's fine," he shrugged with a smirk, "I never take time off, so I've got a lot saved up."

She pretended to pout and turned her doe eyes on him, "But I wanted to go to New York for Christmas…if you use up all your vacation days now, how will we go?"

Damon's mouth opened and closed a few times, completely at a loss for words as he processed what she had said. His confusion turned to happiness as he eagerly asked, "Christmas? That's…a long time from now. Are you trying to tell me something, kitten?"

"Kind of," she whispered, nodding sheepishly, "I like being here with you. You make me happy and I'm not ready to give that up yet. But don't get too excited!" She warned, her face becoming a little more serious, "We still have a little over a week, so don't screw it up!"

"I'll do my best," he promised before he cradled her face in his hands and kissed her senseless.

* * *

"Elena!" Damon called as he walked into the house, a box in one hand, "Come here, baby!"

Damon had been spending his days off with her, spoiling her whenever he could. They had come so far in the past few weeks that it actually felt as if he were really married now. When one of them had doubts or problems they needed to talk about, the other listened and did their best to fix it if they could. Their communication was admirable and they were so in tuned with each other that they were able to communicate with touch alone at times.

He smiled as she walked into the foyer, her hair up in a bun and her face smudged with mint green paint. He had told her that she could redecorate however she wanted so she felt more at home and she ran with it. Right now, the kitchen was currently being repainted in a baby blue color and the office on the second floor was being painted mint green for her to use as a writing room. Damon couldn't deny her anything as long as it made her smile.

"Yeah?" She asked, her voice cheery as she rubbed the back of her hand across her forehead, "Do you need help with something?"

"No," he shook his head with a smile, holding out the large box to her, "I just think you need something a little more to feel at home here."

She took the box with a puzzled look and gasped when it wiggled in her hand. She gave him a frantic look as she spoke quickly, "I swear, if this is anything with scales or sharp teeth or more than four legs, we're going to have a problem. I mean, I know we haven't really been together long enough to talk about our animal phobias, but-"

Damon silenced her with a kiss before cupping her cheek, "Calm, baby. I wouldn't get you anything like that. Besides, I think you'll really like it."

Elena looked at him hesitantly before peering into the box. As soon as she opened the lid, a long pink tongue came out to lick her face. Squealing in delight, she dropped to the ground and tore the lid off of the box, gazing at a longhaired blonde Chihuahua puppy. Her eyes widened in excitement as she picked the tiny dog out of the box, "Damon! It's so cute!"

"Well, it's actually a she," he said jokingly as he sat down on the ground next to her, "And her name is Gypsy. I mean, unless you don't like it because we can change it-"

"Gypsy's perfect," she smiled, holding the dog up to her face and nuzzling their faces together, "I love you, Gypgyp."

Damon smiled and pet the puppy's head softly, "She won't get much bigger. Maybe about five pounds or so."

She set Gypsy down on the floor and crawled over to her husband, kissing him softly as she smiled, "Thank you, baby. I love her."

* * *

 **Be sure to leave a review!**

 **~Grace**


	7. Part VII

**There will be at least 2 more parts to Delena's final week, so it won't be ending _too_ soon. I hope you all like this chapter and that it gives you things to... _think_ about.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter VII: Week IV Part I**

Damon's eyes fluttered open, a wide smile on his face as he looked down and saw Elena curled up on his chest. They were in the final stretch now; in seven days he would know if she would decide to stay or go back to Mystic Falls. He had been hoping and praying that she would decide to stay because he sure as hell wouldn't know how to live without her if she left.

He ran his fingertips against her naked hip, enjoying the feel of her skin against his. Elena mewled lightly, snuggling closer against him.

"Elena? Baby?" He whispered softly, stroking the messy chocolate strands of her hair from her face.

She groaned and shook her head, "No…it's still early…"

Chuckling, he kissed the top of her head, "Actually, it's almost eleven. And I'm sure Gypsy needs to go outside."

Elena opened her eyes slightly and looked down at the foot of the bed, smiling at how the blonde Chihuahua was belly up and still sound asleep. Turning back to her husband, she nipped his chest before laying her head back down and mumbling, "We're still sleeping. Just give us like…ten more minutes."

He smiled and agreed. Staring at the ceiling, he couldn't help the swell of pride he felt; his _family_ was with him. His _family_. He had been so sure that he would never get a chance at his own happy ending, but then Elena came along. Granted, they'd both been trashed in Vegas, but it had truly been a blessing in disguise.

Damon was in love with her, it was as simple as that. And maybe she hadn't said it back yet, but he felt the love she had for him in every little thing that she did. He was happier than he had ever been in his entire life.

* * *

Elena peeked her eyes open, noticing that Damon had fallen asleep, too. She smiled to herself and got up as quietly as she could, picking up the dog in the process and letting it outside before she made her way back upstairs.

She caught a glimpse at the clock and smirked that it was now noon. Creeping back into the room, she was astounded by how handsome he was wrapped up in a crisp white sheet, his raven hair fanning across his face. A devilish glint appeared in her eyes as she slipped under the sheet as quietly as she could.

She started by pressing soft, wet kisses to his hips, watching with a smile as his cock began to rise to its glorious stature. Before she could stop herself, she licked a long stripe up the underside of his cock, causing him to let out a soft moan in his sleep. Getting impatient, she engulfed as much of him as she could in her mouth, wrapping her small hand around the base as she slowly bobbed her head up and down.

Elena felt the sheet ripped from above her and a hand tangle in her hair. Giggling, she looked up at him, continuing her ministrations as he gazed at her in awe.

"God, baby…" he trailed off, his eyes closing in pleasure as thrust his hips against her mouth slightly, seeking more friction.

She swallowed around his length, relishing in his moans of pleasure. He had made her cum countless times and she felt positively proud for returning the favor. She loved how his hand pulled at her hair, how he made her feel powerful.

"Babe…you have to stop…" he managed to get out between gasps.

She could feel how hard he was getting and she redoubled her efforts. She wanted to taste him. She _needed_ to taste him. With her free hand, she massaged his testicles lovingly, gripping the base of his manhood tighter as she swirled her tongue around him before forcing most of him down her throat.

"Fuck! Elena!" He growled, holding her head down as he came. He could see colors burst behind his eyelids as he reached his completion.

Her eyes watered, but she swallowed everything he had to offer. When he finally relaxed his hand on her head, she shot up, gasping for air.

Damon's post orgasmic bliss was cut short as he looked at her, paling considerably. Stumbling over his words, he pulled her into his arms, "Oh my God, Elena, I'm so sorry. It's been awhile since I've had that done and I wasn't-"

Smiling, she pressed a finger to his lips to silence him, "Damon, it's fine. Just try not to kill me next time, okay?"

"Next time?" He parroted, his eyes widening in excitement before he nodded feverishly, "Got it. No killing my wife."

She rolled off of him and sprawled out on the sheets, stretching like a cat. The sheets felt good against her bare skin and she was tempted to close her eyes and forget the rest of the world for the next few hours as long as Damon was next to her.

"Where's Gypsy?" He asked, drawing random patterns on her stomach as he kissed her shoulder.

Elena's eyes widened comically as she jumped out of bed with a curse. All he saw was a flurry of movement before the bedroom door was thrown open and she disappeared.

Creasing his eyebrows, he got up and slipped on a shirt and boxers before following her. The patio door was wide open as he watched her trying to potty train their dog.

"No!" Elena squealed in frustration, picking up the Chihuahua and putting her in the grass again, "Potty outside, Gyp!"

The sight would have been adorable, put the moment she bent over, he realized that she was still naked. The fact obviously went ignored by his wife as she was too preoccupied with their dog. He looked over at the neighbors' houses; satisfied that no one seemed to be paying attention to what was happening in their backyard.

"Baby?" He called over to her, a smile tugging at his lips.

She looked up at him and huffed, "What? Do you want to see if you can make her go potty outside? I don't want her to have a mess in the house…"

"Baby," he said again, a little slower this time, "You're outside."

She looked at him as if he had grown a third head before she nodded, "Yes. I _am_ outside. I'm trying to potty train our dog."

He chuckled, motioning to her body, "You're _outside_ , Elena."

Her face scrunched up in confusion. What the hell was the matter with him? Did some of the blood flow not return to his head yet? She caught his hand gesture and rolled her eyes before looking down at her skin. Skin. She could _see_ her skin. And not just the normal parts.

"Oh my God, Damon!" She screeched, running past him and into the house.

He laughed, walking over to the dog and pursing his lips, "Can you go potty, please? It'd make this a whole hell of a lot easier if you're potty trained.

Gypsy blinked her eyes slowly before squatting and taking care of her business.

Damon smiled before scooping her up and kissing the top of her furry little head, "Good job, Gyp."

* * *

"Damon!" Elena called from the bedroom as she finished pinning her hair up in elegant curls, "Caroline and Stefan are going to be here any second. Are you ready?"

Damon sighed, coming out of the bathroom, his bowtie hanging limply around his neck, "I'd be ready if it weren't for this damn bowtie. Why the hell can't I wear a tie? Those things are easy. This," he gestured to the fabric around his neck, " _This_ was invented by Satan. I'm sure of it."

She laughed, standing up and quickly tying his bowtie, "It's more dressy than a tie. And Caroline and Stefan insisted that we go to this stupid gala, okay? You just need to make an appearance and then we'll get out of there, okay?"

"What will you give me if I behave?" He asked, a smirk curling on his lips as he looked her over. It was taking all of his self-restraint not to rip apart her little black dress and have his way with her.

Elena smirked back, trailing her fingers down his chest and leaning in so her lips were against his ear as she whispered, "You can have me all to yourself if you behave yourself. We can do _anything_ you want."

"Anything?" His eyes glinted with lust as his hands encircled her tiny waist and brought her hips against his.

She nodded, brushing her lips softly against his, " _Anything_."

Groaning when she pulled away, he tried to adjust his pants as his member was straining against them. Giving up, he looked at her, "I hate dress pants. They don't hide anything."

"Oh hush," she chided, "You look handsome." Picking up a pair of black stilettos, she sat on the bed and pulled them on before standing and preening for him, "Do I look okay?"

He had her pressed up against the door to their bedroom before he could even think about it. His hands trailed up her bare thighs to the hem of her dress that sat precariously close to the prize between her thighs that he would spend the rest of his life treasuring. His mouth found her neck and placed hot heated kisses down it until he reached the top of her breasts. His voice was raspy with lust as he spoke, "What are you trying to do to me? This dress, those shoes…it's as if you want me to lose control and make me take you in front of all the nice people at the party."

"What's wrong with my shoes?" Elena looked up at him innocently, batting her dark eyelashes at him.

"You're wearing fuck-me heels, Elena," he deadpanned, a slight growl to his voice, "Every man there is going to be looking at you and drooling."

She smiled, hiking her leg over his hip and grinding her core against him shamelessly, "I guess it's a good thing I'm coming home with you, then, right? You can take everything off of me the second we walk through that door tonight."

"Except the shoes," he demanded, his fingers digging into her thigh as he pressed his erection hard against her, causing her to gasp in pleasure.

"Except the shoes," she amended, panting slightly.

* * *

"You two seem to be doing great," Stefan said with a smile, his gaze wandering over to Elena and Caroline who were socializing with some colleagues of Stefan's.

"You have no idea," Damon said softly, his eyes glued to his wife. He had seen how some of the men were looking at her and he refused to let her out of his sight even for a minute. He smiled, biting his bottom lip momentarily, "She's everything I've ever wanted. I don't know how I ever lived without her."

Stefan gave his brother a knowing smile, "I feel the same way about Caroline. I…I was actually going to ask her to marry me soon."

"What? So soon?" The elder asked, turning his surprised face to Stefan, "I mean, I'm not one to talk, but Blondie seems a little pushy sometimes."

"I know," Stefan said, "But I'm sure that I love her. I want her to be my wife and I don't really see the point in waiting.

"Stef…you never rush into things," Damon said slowly, his eyes narrowing, "What's the real reason you're wanting to propose?"

The younger man ran a hand over his face in what Damon assumed was nervousness, but the smile on his brother's face told him otherwise, "I think she's pregnant. She's just…glowing all the time and we've been inseparable for the past month, if you know what I mean."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"We've been having sex every night for almost a month, Damon," Stefan said quietly, "She hasn't had her _little friend_ visit yet and I think it's a little weird, okay? We didn't use a condom a few times and I think she's pregnant and I don't think she knows yet."

Damon stood there for a minute before he spoke, "So, you're proposing because she's pregnant?"

"No," Stefan shook his head, "I'm doing it because I love her and want to be with her for the rest of my life. Baby or no baby. But I don't want her to find out she's pregnant and think I only want to marry her because of that. I want her to feel like I'm marrying her for all the right reasons, not that I feel forced into it."

Damon nodded, clasping a hand on his shoulder, "I'm proud of you, little brother. If you and Blondie are happy together, then I'm happy for you. I know Elena will be ecstatic when she finds out."

"And you might be an uncle," Stefan smiled, nudging Damon in the ribs, "Can I expect the same thing soon?"

Damon paused, his brow furrowing slightly. He and Elena had only started having sex in the past week, but he knew that he didn't have any _feminine_ products in his house anywhere. And when they slept together the first time, he couldn't remember if he'd used a condom or not. He wet his lips slightly, trying not to let his nerves show, "I-I don't know."

Stefan snorted, "How can you not know? Have you been using protection?"

"We've been using protection, but neither of us can remember if we used any the first night we were together," Damon admitted, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, "I mean, I don't know if she is. I don't know if she's even late or what. But she seems the same, I guess."

"Then don't worry about it," Stefan chuckled, grabbing another glass of champagne from a nearby waiter, "Just enjoy being married."

* * *

"I think I love him, 'Lena," Caroline admitted in a hush tone.

The pair had slipped away to an unoccupied office and were relaxing. Elena felt nervous being away from Damon, but he knew that he would find her if he needed her.

"Are you scared?" Elena asked.

"No. Yes. I don't know," the blonde said softly, "How did it feel when you told Damon that you loved him for the first time?"

Elena shifted uncomfortably, avoiding Caroline's gaze as she said, "I haven't told him yet. I…I didn't want to jinx anything yet, so I wanted to keep it to myself until we were sure that we're sticking together."

Caroline nodded in understanding, "That's smart. I know that Stefan's happy that Damon's happy. I guess his ex really did a number on him and Stef was convinced he was going to be a bachelor for the rest of his life."

"Not if I have any say in it," Elena practically growled before she caught herself, "Sorry. I just don't like the thought of anyone hurting Damon…he's been so caring and sweet during our 'adjustment period' and I honestly don't know what I'd do without him. He's just perfect."

"It sounds like you're in love," Caroline smiled dreamily, giggling as her best friend turned red, "You are! You're totally in love with Damon Salvatore."

Elena laughed with her, "Well, considering I'm Elena _Salvatore_ , I'd better be in love with him. And I know he knows I am. I just want to wait until the perfect time to say it back."

"You'll find that perfect moment," Caroline promised, squeezing Elena's hand reassuringly, "And you'll live happily ever after."

* * *

 **Be sure to leave a review!**

 **PS, I'm heading to America, more specifically VEGAS for the TVD convention on Saturday and Sunday! I'm so excited! I'll be here for ten days, so I'm not sure how much writing I'll get done before I leave. I'll try to keep my regular schedule, but no promises!**

 **Any suggestions of what I should do in Vegas when I'm not drooling over Paul? Or Ian? Or, my personal favorite, Daniel Gillies? UGH. So much sexy shouldn't exist in one body.**

 **~Grace**


	8. Part VIII

**Hi guys! Sorry that this was late; I was in Las Vegas for The Vampire Diaries convention! I had photo ops with Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley, Daniel Gillies, Michael Trevino, and Zach Roerig. And, can I just say, that Ian is literally the world's biggest sweetheart? He was so nice and wasn't shy about hugs at all! I definitely spent more time with Zach, Michael, and Daniel because I met up with them at the casino that night, but they were all super sweet. I had such a great time and I'm already planning my next convention!**

 **(I'm still _sorta_ excited about it, so I'm trying not to gush _too_ much.)**

 **I hope you all enjoy this chapter and hopefully I'll have the next chapter up on Tuesday.**

 **By the way, all mistakes are totally mine because I don't have a beta and I wanted to get this out so I didn't reread anything. But, enjoy anyway!**

* * *

 **Chapter VIII: Week IV Part II**

"Did we complete all of our necessary obligations?" Damon whispered into Elena's ear as he came up behind her.

The party had been winding down and only a few dozen people remained. She and Caroline had done their best to talk to as many clients as possible and make their respective partners look good which seemed to have worked when the men started flocking to Damon and Stefan about cases.

Elena pondered for a second before a smile graced her lips, "I _suppose_ you've fulfilled your part of the bargain."

"So, does that mean we get to go home now?" He asked with a sly smile, "So I can rip that little excuse for a dress off of your insanely hot body?"

She feigned surprise as her eyes widened, "Mr. Salvatore, are you only interested in getting into my panties?"

"No," he smirked, running his hands up and down her hip as he led her to the door, "But I'm not opposed to it."

"I have some bad news then," she sighed, looking up at him with sad doe eyes.

Damon stopped in his tracks and looked down at her worriedly, "What? What's wrong?"

A smile curled onto her lips as she got on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear, "I'm not wearing any panties."

His eyes almost bugged out of his head as he watched her walk away while he growled, "Little minx."

* * *

As soon as the front door closed, Damon had her pushed up against it. His mouth was everywhere at once, worshipping every bit of her olive skin that he could. Hoisting her up, he wrapped her legs around his waist and ground his erection into her, eliciting a high-pitched moan.

"Ahh, Damon," Elena whimpered, arching her back, "I-I think the bed would be comfier."

He smirked against the skin of her throat as his fingers deftly made their way under the hem of her dress and caressed her slick, bare folds. He groaned, "You weren't lying."

"I never lie," she giggled, "I figured you'd want easier access so I took them off before we left."

Since she was already dripping wet, he thrust two fingers deeply inside of her, relishing in the moan that he caused. Using his thumb, he circled her clit as he thrust his fingers in and out of her. He could feel her inner walls start to flutter as he kissed the side of her neck softly.

"Ahhh, God, Damon!" She cried out, her feminine fluid soaking his fingers as she came. Her breath was coming in pants and her head was swimming from the pleasure that was threatening to take her under. She tugged at his raven locks and pulled his mouth back to hers, kissing him passionately, "I need you inside me. _Now_."

He gave her a cocky grin, "Didn't you say something about the bedroom?"

Elena shook her head and hopped off of him. Turning around, she lifted her hair, "Unzip me, please."

He didn't have to be told twice. His fingers unzipped her dress in one smooth motion and he watched in awe as she wiggled out of it and let it fall to the floor. His mouth nearly dropped open when he saw that she was completely naked under the dress. "Seriously? You've been naked all this time?"

She turned to face him, a smug smile on her face, "Well, I couldn't have you bending me over the first thing we came in contact with, now could I? I told you that you'd get to have me _all to yourself_ if you behaved tonight."

"And did I?" Damon asked, eyeing her like a predator as he took a few steps towards her, "Did I behave, _Mrs. Salvatore_?"

She bit her lip and nodded, "Uh huh. You behaved and now you get to claim your prize."

He was on her in an instant, pushing her against the wall and kissing her hungrily. Damon didn't think he could ever get enough of her; her body, her sounds, her _everything_.

Elena ripped off his bowtie and unbuttoned his shirt before pushing it roughly from his broad shoulders and running her hands along the planes of his chest. He trailed his lips down her neck and nipped softly before turning her around in his arms.

"I like the little idea you gave me earlier," he rumbled, kissing the sensitive spot just beneath her ear.

She mewled softly, wiggling her bottom against his crotch, "Oh yeah? And what idea was that?"

Damon moved slightly and bent her over the table that adorned the foyer of their home, pressing her breasts against the cool wood and leaving her butt high in the air. He met her eyes in the mirror above the table, a devilish smirk coming across his handsome features, "The one where I bend you over."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Elena panted, spreading her legs further apart and begging him silently.

He growled as he ripped his belt off and quickly unzipped his pants enough just to free his raging cock. He guided himself to her entrance and ran his manhood along her slick folds; teasing her and causing her to push herself back to meet him. He chuckled, "Someone's impatient."

"Damon, please," she whined, looking at him through the mirror, her eyes full of lust as she wiggled against him.

Smirking, he smacked his hand down hard on her ass, causing her to yelp in surprise, but before she could say anything, he was pushing inside her tight heat, making her take everything he had to offer her.

"Fuck! Damon!" She yelled, her tight walls pulsing around him. Her cheek was still stinging, but it added to the pleasure as he thrust in and out of her at a fast pace. She was gripping the sides of the table so hard that her knuckles were turning white as she moaned constantly.

Reaching down, he tangled one hand in her long brown locks and grabbed her hip with the other. He knew he wasn't going to last long after being worked up almost all night. He pulled her up so her back was flush against his front and groaned, "Play with yourself, baby. I need you to cum on my cock."

Elena's hand snaked down to where they were joined and she circled her little bundle of nerves with purpose. Her whimpers were almost enough to force him to cum, but he held back, he needed her to reach her completion before he did.

"Ahh, so close," she whined, her walls fluttering relentlessly around him, "Just a little more."

Damon was right there, holding off, but all he wanted to do was bury himself inside of her and find his release. His mind finally caught up with the pleasure and he nearly slapped himself for his stupidity, "Fuck! Condom!"

She cried out right when he yelled, riding out her orgasm as he continued to thrust inside of her sheath, not quite caring over what she was doing to him. He bit into her shoulder hard, breaking the skin, as he tried to control himself, making her scream loudly.

Right as he was on the edge, she pulled away from him and turned around, dropping to her knees. She took his throbbing cock into her mouth and sucked for all he was worth, knowing he deserved as much of an amazing orgasm as what he gave her only seconds before.

Damon's hands tangled in her hair and he thrust in and out of her mouth, frantically chasing his release. Finally, he stilled, coating her mouth and throat as he let out a primitive growl.

She swallowed every drop before she pulled her mouth off of him and cleaned his softening member. Standing up, she daintily wiped her mouth with her thumb and index finger and gave him a saucy smile, "Well, that was fun."

His blue eyes danced with lust once more he returned himself to his pants, "You have no idea. I'm not nearly finished with you, baby."

"Well, perhaps you can wait until I'm gone, then," a new voice said from the doorway of the kitchen.

Elena gasped as Damon pushed her behind him, grabbing his shirt from the floor and handing it to her roughly.

Giuseppe stood and watched the couple with distaste, being sure to avert his eyes from his naked daughter-in-law. Clearing his throat, he looked at his son, "Next time, maybe you could check to see if your home is empty before engaging in such acts."

"Next time, maybe you shouldn't be a creep and call before coming over," Damon retorted, gripping Elena's hand behind his back.

The older man waved away his son's words, "I was coming to congratulate you on the way you presented yourself tonight, but it seems as if you've already been _congratulated_ ," he gave a pointed look at Elena before continuing, "However, the firm has had many calls coming in despite the late hour and I was hoping to have a meeting with you since Stefan is…busy."

"And this couldn't wait until the morning?" The raven-haired man scoffed, rolling his eyes, "Believe it or not, but I have a _wife_. Stef has a _girlfriend_. I'm pretty sure my relationship trumps his anytime."

"You know, I _am_ curious," Giuseppe said, ignoring Damon, "How on earth did you and Stefan manage to bring in all these new clients in a matter of a few hours? From what I heard, you two hardly conversed with anyone."

Damon's chest swelled with pride as he glanced behind him at the doe eyed beauty he called his wife, "You have Elena and Caroline to thank for that. They were social butterflies and made sure to speak with everyone."

"Ah, so maybe the women are actually good for something."

"Don't you dare speak about them like that," Damon said darkly, taking on a protective stance, "If it weren't for mom, the firm wouldn't even exist. She's the one who busted her ass and made it what it is because you were horrible with speaking to potential clients. All you cared about was the money; you didn't give a shit about the clients and you still don't."

Giuseppe bristled, "Your mother was a wonderful woman-"

"Damn straight she was," Damon growled, "Just like Elena and Caroline. They're the future of this company. And the faster you accept that, the faster we'll all get along."

* * *

"You know, you didn't do your job last night," Damon chided in reference to a stranger being in their house as he looked down at the little blonde ball of fur that was curled in his lap, "Your mother and I could've been murdered and what were you doing? Sleeping in the laundry basket."

He shook his head as Gypsy rolled onto her back and stretched out, begging for her tummy to be scratched, which he obliged. Elena was still fast asleep upstairs after their _marathon_ last night and he didn't want to wake her quite yet.

Thoughts of what Stefan said the night before were swirling around in his head. What if Elena _was_ pregnant? Sure, they were married, ergo he would automatically be in the baby's life, but what if she wasn't ready yet? What if she didn't want kids at all? She had mentioned going to New York for Christmas and her being in her third trimester would hinder that.

And what if she wasn't pregnant, but Caroline was? Would that make her want a baby? Damon wasn't sure if he was ready to be a father, but he knew he would make a damn better one than his own. He figured that he wanted kids, but only with Elena.

Suddenly, Gypsy rolled off of her back and gave a little woof towards the stairs, sitting at attention.

"Yeah, 'cause that's definitely going to scare someone," Damon mocked, rolling his eyes before muttering, "Should've gotten a Pit Bull."

"You better not be being mean to our baby," Elena scolded him as she walked into the living room. Her eyes found the dog and she picked her up while cooing, "How's mama's girl today? Are you being good for daddy?"

"Mmm," he smirked, biting his lip, "Remind me to make you say that in bed."

"Damon!" She squealed, smacking his arm, "That's so inappropriate!"

He shrugged, "You started it."

Elena sighed, putting the dog down on the ground before walking to the kitchen. Her stomach was what had woken her up and she needed food before dealing with anything else today.

"What 'cha making?" Damon asked, coming up behind her and peering in the fridge.

"Well, it looks like yogurt is the only viable option right now," she said, taking out some strawberry yogurt and grabbing a spoon. She sat down at the bar, opening it and taking a bite, "I should probably go shopping at some point, right? Otherwise we're going to be eating yogurt all week."

He scrunched up his nose, "There's always take out if you don't feel like shopping."

"I can shop, Damon," she laughed before giving him a wink, "Besides, we'll need some groceries for next week, too."

* * *

"What's bothering you?" Elena asked as they sat outside and watched Gypsy run around the yard, "You've been acting strange for the past couple days. Is something wrong?"

Damon fidgeted uncomfortably. Yes, he's been acting weird especially since talking to Stefan. The thought of Elena being pregnant had been weighing heavily on his mind. They weren't done with their trial period yet and what if she decided to go home? What if she kept their child from him?

"Damon? Did something happen at the Gala?"

"Yes," he replied hoarsely, his gaze wandering to her face, "But if I tell you, you can't repeat it. Not even to Caroline. Especially not to Caroline."

Her eyes widened slightly, "What's wrong? Are you okay? Is Stefan okay?"

Damon nodded impatiently, "Yeah, Stef and I are fine. He just…he wants to ask Caroline to marry him."

Shock crossed her beautiful face before her eyebrows scrunched up, "Isn't it a little early?"

"Look who's talking," he snorted, "We got married after less than twenty-four hours."

"Shut up," she mumbled, smiling slightly.

"But…he also thinks that she could be pregnant and he doesn't want her to think he's only marrying her because of that," he rushed out, "And he wants to propose beforehand."

"Care's not pregnant," Elena laughed, shaking her head, "She gets a birth control shot that makes her only have her… _lady time_ like once every few months. But if Stefan still wants to marry her, then I say go for it. She needs some stability in her life."

Damon's nose crinkled uncomfortably, " _Lady time_?"

Swatting his arm, she sighed, "You know what I mean. And I know that's not the only thing bugging you, so spit it out."

"Do you get that shot thing, too?" He asked softly, hating himself for being so childish.

"What?" Elena asked, confusion coloring her face, "No, I don't. Why?"

He took a deep breath before meeting her chocolate gaze, "Are you pregnant?"

She stilled slightly, her thoughts moving a mile a minute, "I-I don't think so."

"Well, when was your last… _lady time_?"

Counting back the days in her head, she winced, "About two weeks before the wedding."

"So…" he prompted, holding his breath.

"I'm late," she admitted softly. How could she not have noticed? Was everything going so perfect with Damon that she forgot all about it? Sighing, she stood up and crossed her arms, "But it doesn't mean anything. This month has been strange. It probably just threw off my cycle or something."

Damon stood, too, uncrossing her arms and taking her hands, "I'm going to go get a pregnancy test, just in case, okay? I…I just want to be prepared and I want to know."

"Isn't it too early for that?"

He shrugged, "Normally a test will tell you after you've missed a period, right? And you're already late, so…"

"Okay," she nodded, "I guess I'll wait here."

* * *

Three minutes. In three minutes she would know if she was going to be a mom or not. Time seemed to go by infinitely slower as she stared at the timer on her phone.

"Elena," Damon said softly, pulling her back to the present, "Calm down."

She turned her watery chocolate eyes to him, trying to keep her voice down, " _Calm down_? How the hell am I supposed to _calm down_? That tiny little stick in there is supposed to tell me if I'm going to have a new responsibility for the rest of my life!"

"And we'll be in it together!" He said, standing up and taking her in his arms, "If you're pregnant, then we'll deal with it, okay? Whatever you want to do."

She looked up at him, "We're keeping it if I am, Damon. I couldn't…"

"I didn't mean it like that, baby," he cooed, stroking her hair softly, "But we're in this together. We're married right? For better or worse. And I'd take care of you and our child for as long as I live, I promise you that, Elena. You're it for me."

All of the past month seemed to crash down on her. She had married the most wonderful man she had ever met and she was sure that she was going to spend the rest of her life with him. She wanted him, needed him. Damon was her rock and her salvation. He was it for her, too, and she was sure of it.

"Damon," she stared at him, her eyes locking onto his ocean ones, "No matter if I'm pregnant or not, I'm staying with you. Screw the next few days, I want to be your wife."

"Really?" He asked, his eyes wide in disbelief as he stared back at her.

She nodded, "Really, Damon. I love you."

His mouth crashed against hers as soon as the words left her lips. He had been waiting weeks to hear them and hearing them now made everything so much more special. He loved this woman, his wife, and he was getting to keep her.

The sound of her phone interrupted them. Pulling away, she looked down and silenced it as she took a deep breath, "Well, here goes nothing."

She walked into the bathroom with Damon trailing behind her. Grabbing the pregnancy test from the counter, she looked down at it and her eyes widened slightly.

"Baby?" He asked, concerned, "What is it?

* * *

 **Oops, cliffie! Sorry ;)**

 **Leave a review, pretty please!**

 **~Grace**


	9. Part IX

**No beta, so excuse any errors because I was lazy and didn't reread anything. Sorry this is a day late :(**

 **This is kind of a fluff/filler chapter, but it's still super important.**

 **Next chapter should be _really_ fun ;)**

 **Enjoy! OH! And please go to SurveyMonkey .com and put r/6QDNQSR at the end! That's going to help me figure out a new story because I'll be wrapping up three in the next few weeks.**

* * *

 **Chapter IX: Week IV Part III**

Elena's face broke into a relieved smile as she ran to him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she sighed, "I'm not pregnant."

Damon's entire body relaxed. Of course he had been willing to step up and do everything possible if she were pregnant, but he couldn't help feel that he still wasn't ready. Their entire romance up to this point had been a whirlwind of excitement and the unknown; he just didn't want to add an accidental _child_ to that.

"Damon?" She asked, pulling back and looking up at him with concern, "Are you upset?"

He shook his head, still slightly dazed, "Upset? No, baby, I'm not upset. I…I guess I'm just a little relieved," he smiled, a devilish glint appearing in his icy blue eyes, "I want to have my gorgeous wife all to myself for a little while longer before we expand the family to two legged children."

Elena giggled, "I feel the same way. I'm not sure that I'd like sleep-deprived Damon at two in the morning after he gets finished feeding our child?"

"Two AM feedings?" He groaned, mockingly rolling his eyes, "I'm totally _not_ signing up for that."

She scoffed, "If I'm carrying a baby for nine months, you can bet your ass that you're in charge of _all_ nighttime feedings."

He smiled, placing a kiss to her forehead, "We both know that I would do anything you ask of me. Especially nighttime feedings to our little miracle."

"Well, _our little miracle_ isn't going to be arriving for at least a couple of years. So you'd better start saving up your vacation time again because I was serious about going to New York for Christmas," she bit her lip, batting her eyelashes at him.

"New York for Christmas it is," Damon chuckled, "I'll rent us a really nice penthouse and we'll spend the month there."

"Sounds perfect."

* * *

"So…were you actually being serious about staying with me?" Damon asked later that night as they were lying in bed, both watching Gypsy as she was dreaming.

Elena looked up at him, confusion on her face, "Why would you ask that?"

"Well, I didn't know if it was spur of the moment," he rambled, looking away as his cheeks turned pink, "I didn't know if you were just saying it because you thought that you were pregnant or if you really wanted to be with me."

She thought about it for a moment, moving onto her back and staring at the ceiling. She was quiet for a few moments before she finally spoke, "You know, when I figured out we had actually gotten married in Vegas, I thought that this was going to be a disaster. I thought that I was too young to get married. I mean, most women don't get married until they're almost thirty and I'm only twenty-one. We had so much stacked against us and when Caroline suggested the 'trial period' I thought she had gone insane."

She paused, rolling onto her side and facing him as a smile crept onto her face, "And then you just had to be a perfect gentleman. You never pressured me for anything; you let me make my own decisions. You don't care if I want to work or if I want to stay home. You only care about _me_ and what makes me happy. And I haven't had that in a very long time."

" _You_ make me happy, Elena," Damon murmured, cupping her soft cheek in his hand, "I thought that I was going to be the eternal bachelor as I watched everyone around me be happy. I never thought I'd have a chance at happiness after what a sham my previous relationship was. I was afraid of getting hurt again and I knew I was taking a chance by letting you in, but it was the best chance I've ever taken."

"I love you, Damon Salvatore," she whispered, closing the space between them and kissing his lips softly, "I'm glad my stupid, drunken mind said yes to you because I can't imagine my life without you in it."

He sighed in contentment, running his thumb along her full bottom lip and gazing deeply into her liquid mahogany eyes, "You're my life now, baby. I'd do anything for you whenever you asked. I never had a reason for getting up in the morning until I woke up next to you."

Elena giggled, "Are you trying to get in my pants?"

"Sweetheart, you aren't even wearing pants."

"Shut up," she mumbled, smacking his chest lightly before she sighed, "Do you have work tomorrow?"

Damon groaned, "Yeah. With all the new cases coming in, I can't really afford to take anymore time off."

"So, I'll be all by my lonesome?" She asked, jutting out her bottom lip adorably as she made puppy dog eyes at him, "How ever will I survive?"

He gave her a devilish smirk before flipping himself so he was hovering on top of her. Running his fingertips along her cheek, he kissed her mouth softly, "Whatever will I do with you, Mrs. Salvatore?"

She paused, pretending to think for a moment before smiling up at him, "Hmm, you could love me."

"I already do."

* * *

"So, is this it?" Caroline asked as they walked around the boutiques in downtown San Francisco, "Like, you're staying with him?"

Elena bit her bottom lip as she nodded, "Yeah, this is it. I love him and I want to be with him."

She couldn't help but to think about how wonderful her life with Damon had been turning out. It had been about a week since she decided to stay and he had went back to work full-time. Caroline had decided to move in with Stefan and the pair of them had been nearly inseparable.

"I still can't believe how Damon reacted to the possibility of you being pregnant," the blonde giggled, pulling a hot pink dress from the rack and holding it against herself before whirling around and facing Elena, "But, you're seriously not pregnant, right? You've got your…monthly friend?"

Elena shook her head, "No, not yet. But this month has been beyond weird. I'm pretty sure everything will even out once I'm all settled."

Caroline clicked her tongue as she put back the dress, "I hope so. I overheard Stefan and Damon planning for the fourth of July and I wanted to get smashed."

"The state of my body doesn't have any correlation with what you do with yours," the brunette reminded her, admiring a denim skirt.

"Whatever," her friend mumbled before her eyes lit up, "Oh! What're you doing for your birthday? It's next week and we need to have fun!"

Elena stilled for a moment. She hadn't even remembered her birthday and she was sure that Damon wasn't aware of it either. Truthfully, she had no plans nor did she really want any. She hadn't really celebrated her birthday since her parents' death and she couldn't help but feel guilty.

"He doesn't know, does he?" Caroline guessed, observing the brunette's apprehension, "I mean, you guys did kind of get married spur of the moment. It's not like you had time to really get to know each other."

Elena shook her head, "It's not that. Just…so much has changed this year and I'm not sure if I want to actually celebrate my birthday. I think I'd rather stay at home and enjoy a glass of wine and my husband."

" _Husband_ ," Caroline said, testing the word on her tongue, "I think Stefan would fit that role in my life quite nicely."

"Did he…"

"Yes!" The blonde squealed, holding out her left hand as she rambled on, "I knew that you really needed a friend today and I wanted to be able to support you and everything, but he asked last night and, of course, I said yes! Can you believe it? We're actually going to be sisters! I've already got colors and dresses picked out, and you'll be my matron of honor of course and-"

"Caroline! Breathe," Elena laughed, looking down at her friend's ring. She couldn't help the twinge of jealousy that ran through her as her best friend prattled on about planning her wedding. Elena hated that she would never remember hers, but she didn't regret her marriage in the slightest.

"I'm sorry!" The blonde gushed, "I'm just so excited! And there's so much to do!"

"When's the wedding?"

Caroline fidgeted, "Uh…two weeks?"

"What? Care!" Elena cried, "How the hell are you going to get a wedding together in two weeks?"

"Well, my best friend is really smart about these kinds of things," Caroline hinted with a smirk, "I seriously just want you to pick everything out and then send it to me for approval. Your taste is more…elegant that mine. I mean, if I had my way, you'd be in hot pink and I'd be in nothing. But, Stefan said that his dad is more… _conservative_ than most people and you've had to plan so many Founding parties at home!"

Elena groaned as she relented, "Fine. But it's only because you still have a job and I need to preoccupy myself while I sit at home! I need to know colors, venues, and budgets."

"You got it!" Caroline smiled, "Thank you so much, 'Lena. I owe you."

"I do sort of have a favor to ask," Elena said, biting her lip nervously.

"Anything!"

"Can Gypsy be in the wedding?" She blurted out.

Caroline stopped and looked at her, "Your dog? You want your dog in the wedding?"

"Please! She's like your niece or something, anyway," Elena begged, a smile on her face, "And she'll be dressed and cute and I can even train her to carry the rings!"

"That would be so cute!" The blonde squealed, "Okay, the dog can be in the wedding."

* * *

Three days later, Elena was pouring herself over bridal magazines. Caroline had given her the colors and budget and she had been trying to adhere to everything her friend asked for.

So far, Elena had picked out a crème and blush chiffon dress for herself and a sleek white dress for Caroline. She had been told to only pick for the two of them, which seemed weird because she was sure that Caroline would have bridesmaids.

The Hamlin Mansion had become the venue courtesy of the no-budget budget. It was beautiful and emphasized on Italian heritage that seemed perfect for the future Mrs. Salvatore. The inside of the mansion was beautiful; strong, dark oak adorned the staircase and it was all original.

"Don't tell me that you're still doing this," Damon whined from the doorway, observing the way his wife was hunched over the magazines.

She smiled at him, "Hey. I didn't hear you come in."

"I can be stealthy when I want to be," he shrugged, doing that eye-thing that nearly made her melt, "Besides, you've been at this for days now, shouldn't you take a break?"

"I've come this far," Elena sighed, closing the magazine she was currently looking at, "All I have left is to pay the flower deposit and Caroline has to approve the dresses. Literally, everything else is finished. The minister has been booked, the venue has been paid for in full, the hotel reserved for guests. Man, maybe I should do this for a living instead."

Damon chuckled, moving a stack of books and sitting beside her on the couch, "Whatever you want, baby. You know I'll support you either way. And this is great practice for when you have to plan company parties."

"Ooh," she smiled, kissing his cheek, "Now I know I'll be excited to do that."

"God, have I told you how perfect of a wife you are?"

Elena shook her head, "Not recently, but I'll take all the compliments I can get."

He smiled and grabbed her hips, situating her in the lap, "You are by far the best wife I could've ever asked for."

She leaned back, her back flush against his chest as she murmured, "I love you."

Damon smiled, reaching around and pulling the hem of her dress up her long legs. His fingers played with the lace at the apex of her thighs and he kissed the side of her neck, "I love you, too."

She moaned lightly, spreading her legs wider as his hand slipped under the lace. Whenever he touched her, she felt as if the world stopped. Like there was no one else besides them and all she could focus on was his fingers on her skin. She cried out as his middle finger circled her clit firmly, arching her back against him.

"Fuck…" he said against her skin, "You're so perfect…"

Elena merely whined in response, feeling herself building towards her orgasm. Two of his able fingers slipped inside of her easily as the heel of his palm continued to rub her bundle of nerves in all the right ways.

"God…Damon…" she whimpered, throwing her head back against his shoulder and bucking her hips against his hand.

Damon used his free hand to massage her breast as he continued thrusting his fingers inside of her. Seeing his girl in the throes of passion would always be one of the most beautiful sights he had ever seen. The way she enjoyed herself and the way her body responded to him was like heaven.

He curled his fingers upwards, hitting that spot inside her as she screamed his name. Her orgasm tore through her, making her small body shudder violently in his arms before she went limp. She was panting and sweaty against him as she relaxed against him.

Her gorgeous doe eyes opened slowly, still hazy with how satisfied she was. She turned her head and captured his lips with hers, her arm sliding around his neck and securing him there.

He pulled away and looked at her lovingly, "I've never seen anything as beautiful as you."

Too exhausted to reply, she simply smiled and turned her body sideways so she was nestled securely in his arms. Her face burrowed against the crook of his neck as she tried to catch her breath.

Finally, she looked up at him with a little smile, "Take me to bed, please."

He grinned, standing with her still in his arms as he kissed her forehead softly, "Of course, Mrs. Salvatore."

* * *

 **Be sure to leave a review and take the survey, pretty please!**

 **~Grace**


	10. Part X

**This is the last actual chapter chapter, but there will be others that will be uploaded. I'll do a few chapters that are based in the future like holidays and stuff like that (Christmas, birthdays, _babies_ ). So, the story isn't really done per say. **

**I hope you've all enjoyed this ride with me. And I'll be updating with the outtakes on the normal updating schedule because I'm having a really hard time saying goodbye to these characters.**

 **Thank you all for your support with this story, it means so much!**

* * *

 **Chapter X: The Birthday**

It had been four days since the last night Elena and Damon had spent together romantically. Four days since her _monthly friend_ had made an appearance and she all but shunned her husband to the couch.

It was the morning of her birthday and she rejoiced as the pains in her abdomen were gone. Blinking open her chocolate eyes, she smiled before dragging herself out of bed.

Technically, today was the day she had been waiting for since she was sixteen. She finally had full control of her parents' money and she could afford to go to college and put Jeremy through college as well. But now that she was married and money was no longer a problem, she wasn't sure what to do.

Her phone started buzzing on the bedside table and she grabbed it quickly, excited when a familiar name popped up.

"Jeremy!" She squealed happily into the phone.

 _Hey, Elena. Happy birthday! I didn't want to call you too early, but I also wanted to be the first one to wish you happy birthday…_

Elena laughed, "It's fine, Jer. I actually just got up anyway. How's school? And Colorado?"

 _It's great, 'Lena. I graduate next year and I couldn't be happier. You're living in San Francisco now, right? With Damon?_

"Yeah," she nodded to herself as a blush crept onto her cheeks, "We've decided to stay married. I…I love him, Jer."

 _If you're happy, then I'm happy. Listen, I-_

He was cut off suddenly by a familiar voice and her brows furrowed slightly, "Jer? Are you in Virginia?"

 _What? No, that was just….my friend. She's being a little noisy._

"Weird, it sounded just like Jenna."

 _Hey, I gotta go. I'll make sure to call you soon, okay? Love you, 'Lena. Bye._

"Bye," she said, but the line was already dead.

Shaking her head, she put her phone down and meandered downstairs to see if her husband was awake. Gypsy was sitting at the top of the stairs, her blonde ears perked up as she let out a tiny woof. Elena crouched down and picked up the tiny Chihuahua and bounded down the stairs.

She walked into the kitchen and was greeted by the sight of Damon in front of the stove appearing to cook pancakes. Setting the dog down, she approached him from behind and wrapped her arms around his slim waist, pressing a soft kiss to his bare shoulder.

"Mm, good morning, baby," he murmured, turning in her arms and placing a kiss to her forehead, "Are you feeling better today? Or should I look into checking into a hotel?"

Elena looked down and blushed, "Everything's normal now, if you catch my drift. No need for hotels."

A look of relief passed over his face as he exclaimed, "Oh, thank _God_."

Before she could blink, Damon had her in his arms and was kissing every bit of exposed skin he could reach.

"Damon!" She giggled.

"God, four days is long enough to stay away from you," he mumbled in between kisses, "I don't know how I survived." He pulled away and a confident smirk crept onto his face, "In fact, we're going upstairs right now and I'm going to show you how much I missed you.

"What about breakfast?" She asked innocently, gesturing towards the poor excuses for pancakes.

Damon sighed before pulling away and turning off the stove. He picked her up bridal style and kissed her lips tenderly before saying, "I'm not too hungry. Besides, I don't really like pancakes anyway."

* * *

"What's with the suit?" Elena smiled as Damon walked into the living room.

She had been curled up on the couch with Gypsy for the past few hours while he ran some errands around town. She still hadn't told him it was her birthday, but the morning sex they had earlier was more than enough of a present.

He looked a little nervous as he scratched the back of his neck, "Stef and Caroline invited us out to dinner and I figured we could go."

"Okay, that should be fine," she nodded, checking her phone, "It's already two. What time do they want to go?"

"They said around five, but they wanted to stop by that venue you reserved for them," he said, "Caroline hasn't had a chance to see it in person and-"

"That's a great idea!" Elena exclaimed, cutting him off, "I've wanted to see it in person, too. It'll be great! Oh! And I'll need to bring my notebook so I can take notes of how she wants everything decorated."

He laughed, "Whatever you want, babe." He ducked down and placed a kiss to her forehead and smiled, "Caroline sent me home with a box for you. Something about wearing it tonight?"

"What?" She snorted, "Are you clothes not _fancy_ enough for her? Wait, where are we going for dinner?"

"Perry's?" Damon guessed as he tried to recall the name, "I don't know. It's not too upscale, but she wanted everyone to look good for stopping by the venue. Appearances and whatnot."

She giggled, "Yeah, that sounds like Care. I should probably get ready, huh?"

"Or we can stay here and spend some _quality_ time together," he hinted as his lips brushed against her neck.

"Oh no," she warned, getting up and walking towards the stairs, "You're not distracting me with sex. Again."

"Spoil sport," he mumbled as he watched his wife's retreating figure affectionately.

* * *

When Elena stepped out of the shower, she felt clean and refreshed. She sauntered over to the box from Caroline that Damon had laid on the bed for her to find. Pursing her lips, she opened the box slowly, revealing a white one-shouldered chiffon dress, a pair of white _Luna_ pumps by _Jimmy Choo_ , and a simple grey silk belt.

She whistled at the shoes as she pulled them out, no doubt from Caroline's personal collection. Her blonde friend had always had a weakness for designer shoes, no matter if she could afford them or not.

Figuring she should do her makeup before putting on the pristine white dress, she went back into the bathroom and carefully began accenting her features with hints of makeup here and there.

"Hey, babe?" Damon asked as he walked into the bathroom, phone in hand, "Do you mind if Caroline picks you up? Stefan and I have to go back to the office really quick. Apparently we forgot to file something and-"

She waved off his concerns with a smile, "It's fine, Damon. Care and I need to talk about wedding stuff anyway. You and Stefan will meet us there, right?"

"Of course," he nodded as he let out a sigh of relief, "I wouldn't miss dinner with my girl for the world."

She smiled, starting to put away her makeup, "Such a charmer."

He stared at her in awe. She was always a beauty, no matter if she was wearing makeup or not, but right now was the most beautiful he had ever seen her. He scooped her up and placed a kiss against her forehead, "God, you're so beautiful, baby. I'm so lucky."

Elena giggled and rested her forehead against his, peering deeply into his ocean eyes as she whispered, "I'm lucky, too."

"Why are you wearing lipstick," he groaned, his eyes traveling down to her lips, "All I want to do is kiss you senseless right now."

"It was part of my master plan," she admitted mockingly, "I knew that if you kissed me, we'd never make it to dinner."

"Fine," he grumbled before checking his watch, "Shit, I have to go. I'll be sure to meet you both at the venue, okay?"

Elena nodded as he set her back down on her feet, "Okay. Be careful."

"I always am, baby," he smirked, kissing her temple softly, "I love you."

Her insides fluttered at his words and she smiled at him, "I love you, too."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Elena was dressed and waiting by the door. She had paired a grey clutch with her outfit and shoved all of the important things inside. A honk outside signaled that Caroline had finally arrived and she hurried outside, locking the door behind her.

"Hey, Care!" Elena greeted her as she got in the car and buckled up, "I was beginning to think you'd be late-"

"Happy birthday!" The blonde squealed as she pulled onto the road, "I know that you didn't tell Damon about it, but I thought that you still deserved to go out."

Elena laughed, "It was a nice surprise, thank you. I enjoyed the first part of my day relaxing, so I'm glad to get out for a little while."

"Happy to be of service!" Caroline replied enthusiastically.

The brunette simply smiled as they continued to prattle on about her friend's wedding. She felt somewhat envious, but at the same time she was more than happy to be a part of her big day. She had known Caroline practically since they were toddlers and she loved her as a sister.

"Hey, what's going on?" Elena asked as they pulled up to the venue. Cars were everywhere and it seemed pretty busy. She looked at the blonde as her brows creased, "Is there an event here tonight?"

Caroline shrugged, "Maybe. Either way, it'll be awesome to see what everything looks like all done up." She parked the car and swiftly got out, noticing Damon's care was nearby, "Oh! And the boys are already here. They're probably inside waiting."

"We can't just crash someone else's party," Elena protested, her doe eyes wide, "I mean, it's rude and-"

"Stefan and Damon are already in there, 'Lena," the blonde reminded her as she tugged her towards the door, "So, obviously, it's fine."

Elena's response died on her lips as she was forced through the threshold of the mansion. Her eyes lit up as she took in the classy decorations of grey and white, the lavender Plumerias on the entry tables, and the silk runner trimmed with silver.

"Holy shit," the brunette mumbled, looking around, "This is exactly what we planned."

"Someone has good taste," Caroline scoffed with a smile before turning towards the closed door in the foyer, obviously leading to the wedding area, "We should see who the lucky couple is getting married."

"Care, that's not such a good-"

But Caroline didn't listen and she opened the door slowly, revealing the wedding party on the other side. Elena peered around her friend and nearly collapsed at what she saw.

The entire room was decked out the exact way that Elena had imagined it. Lavender and grey runners covered the pews and Plumerias were dripping from each of them. Her eyes followed the runner to the altar and her heart jumped to her throat.

The most handsome man she had ever seen was waiting for her. Damon was talking to Stefan and hadn't even noticed that she was there, but her mind was more muddled than anything.

"Caroline…I don't understand…"

"It's your wedding!" The blonde squealed as quietly as she could, "Damon wanted you to have one, a proper one, now that you've decided to stay."

"But what about my family-"

"Already taken care of," a man behind her said.

Spinning around, Elena was face to face with Alaric and she smiled, "Ric, are Jenna and Jer-"

"Present and accounted for," he assured her with a smile as he offered her his arm, "Now, are you ready to get married? Again?"

* * *

Damon waited patiently. He knew his girl was going to be walking down that aisle any second and he was trying hard to contain his excitement. Ever since waking up next to her in Vegas, he had known that he wanted her to have a wedding that she would remember.

Caroline had spilled the beans about Elena's birthday and he thought that this would be the perfect gift. He had flown in her family, had her organize 'Caroline's' wedding, and moved the dates up without her knowing. He was pretty damned proud of himself for pulling this off.

"Hey, I just got a text from Care," Stefan said from behind him, "They're in the foyer now and apparently Elena's pretty confused."

Damon's hands turned slick as he turned to face his brother, "You don't think she'll be mad, do you? I mean, I technically lied to her about all of this-"

"Look at it this way," Stefan said, clasping Damon's shoulder reassuringly, "She's already married to you. It's not like she can say _no_."

The eldest snorted, "You're an ass."

"I learned from the best."

Damon's retort was forgotten as the music started up. His eyes immediately went to the set of doors at the back of the room and he waited for his bride to appear.

Caroline was the first one through the doors with Jeremy on her arm. The blonde took confident steps until she reached the altar and gave Damon a thumbs-up. The nerves in his stomach silenced for the moment, knowing that Elena wasn't upset with him.

When the wedding march started up, his blue eyes snapped to the doors and instantly his breath was taken away. Elena stood in a flowy white dress with a grey belt around her waist looking every bit the goddess that she was. Her hair had been left curly and was only pinned back slightly to illuminate her beautiful face. Damon was sure that this, this _moment_ , was the single best one of his existence. And as much as he tried, he couldn't stop the tear that ran from his eye at seeing his wife as beautiful as she was in that moment.

As soon as she approached the altar, Alaric kissed her cheek and handed her off to Damon with a smile.

Elena blushed as her husband pulled her against him and brushed a kiss along her forehead as he whispered, "You look beautiful."

She looked up at him through her lashes, a shy smile pulling at her lips, "Oh yeah? Well, you don't look too bad yourself."

Their banter came to a close as the minister cleared his voice, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here tonight to bear witness to the love that Damon and Elena have for each other."

Elena tuned him out, choosing to focus on the man in front of her instead. His baby blue eyes were staring at her intently as if he's never seen her before. She couldn't help but think how lucky she was to have this man all to herself. How lucky she was that she gets to be with him for the rest of her life.

"I do," Damon said surely as he looked down at her with love.

His words shook her from her thoughts and she allowed herself to come back to the present as she looked at the minister.

"And do you, Elena Gilbert-Salvatore, take Damon Salvatore do be your lawfully wedded husband? Through sickness and health, for richer or poorer, until death do you part?"

Elena sniffled slightly, grateful that it was still a proper wedding and not just a vow renewal as she nodded, "I do."

"And now the rings," the minister said, looking at Damon expectantly.

He gave his trademark smirk as he looked at Elena, "Oh, you're going to _love_ this."

She looked at him confused as he whistled loudly, earning a little woof and the scamper of paws. She nearly screeched at the sight of Gypsy running full speed at Damon, a box secured around her little neck. He picked her up and undid the box before handing her off to Stefan.

"You have no idea how hard it was to train her to do that," he whispered as Elena stared at him in awe, "Chihuahuas aren't exactly renowned for their _genius_."

"It's perfect," she whispered back, a smile lighting up her face.

Once the rings were on and the vows were repeated, the minister nodded his approval, "And by the power vested in me by the state of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Again. You may now kiss your bride."

And that's exactly what Damon did. The second his lips touched hers, he immediately forgot about everything else. Time seemed to stand still as their family and friends cheered around them.

This was everything that Elena had ever wanted in life. She had a home, a family, and a husband. Everything was falling into place perfectly and she couldn't be happier.

As soon as Damon let go of her, Caroline was hugging her tightly, "Oh, I knew you'd love it!" She pulled back slightly and smiled, "I hope your birthday was everything you wanted."

Damon and Stefan had wandered over, a smile plastered on both of their faces as the new bride replied, "It was perfect. Thank you, all of you. But what about your wedding, Care?"

The blonde blushed, moving over to Stefan, "We kind of already got married."

"What?" Damon and Elena said at the same time, confusion coloring their faces.

Stefan shrugged, readjusting the dog in his arms, "Well, we heard about this _crazy_ thing. Apparently, you can get married in Vegas now. And, while there's a lot of divorces that normally go with it, we knew this couple that had a perfect experience. So, we decided to give it a go."

Elena smiled and looked up at Damon, "Waking up in Vegas, next to you, was the best thing that ever happened to me."

Damon's arms wound around her small waist and held her close as he kissed her, "You and me both, babe. You and me both."

* * *

 **Gah! So sad that this is the end of current-time chapters. But it felt like a good place to end before I jump ahead.**

 **FUN FACT: Did you know I actually had planned for this to be between Stefan and Elena? Stefan seemed the more likely of the Salvatores to end up drunk in Vegas (because Damon is _so_ used to drinking). But the more I wrote, the more I realized that Damon was a better match in the long run.**

 **Stay tuned for future chapters! :)  
**

 **~Grace**


	11. The Holidays: Halloween Part I

**Sorry that this is almost a week late, guys! Real life got in the way. And I know it's a little short, but there will be a part two _hopefully_ published on Tuesday or Wednesday. No promises, but my muse is extra hopeful, ha! Btw, this is unbeta'd, just like all of my work.**

 **Enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

 **The Holidays: Halloween Part I**

"Damon!" Elena called, struggling through the front door as she tried to hold two pumpkins, "Help!"

October had brought a bit of color change to San Francisco, but for the most part the weather remained sunny and warm. The months of being with Damon had flown by and she was the happiest that she'd ever been. Jeremy, Jenna, and Alaric had come for a visit in the earlier part of August and Jeremy applied to a university in Denver, much to Elena's delight. Denver was much closer than Mystic Falls anyway.

Jenna had also spilled the beans that she and Alaric were expecting. Apparently on their honeymoon to Hawaii they had decided to expand their family unknowingly. Alaric seemed like a nervous wreck, but after a talk with Damon, he calmed down more than Elena thought was possible.

"Yeah, baby?" Damon bounded in, taking sight of the two pumpkins pressed ridiculously against her chest. A devious smirk plastered across his face as he chuckled, "You know, I liked your body much better when you didn't have such… _enhancements_."

She scoffed as she turned red with embarrassment, "Can you just take them, please? They're heavy."

He smiled and took them from her with ease before walking to the kitchen as she followed with the rest of the bags.

"And why do we need pumpkins?" He asked, setting them down on the counter, "I thought we were going to Stef and Blondie's Halloween party?"

"We are," Elena nodded, putting the bags down and turning to him, "Speaking of which, we need to figure out our costumes. Ooh! Maybe we could be a fifties couple!"

He snorted, "As good as I would look as a greaser, I can't really imagine you in a poodle skirt," he wiggled his eyebrows at her, "You're much too naughty for that. I mean, just last week you were bent over my desk at work-"

"Damon!" She squealed indignantly, smacking his arm, "No discussing the sexcapades. Otherwise, it won't happen again. Besides, who said I had to wear a poodle skirt? We could be like Danny and Sandy at the end of the movie!"

"Mmm, spandex pants?" He asked, looking her up and down hungrily, "Now, I could deal with that."

She giggled, "We'll figure it out. We just have to matching. I think Care and Stef are going to be Cinderella and Prince Charming."

"How fitting," he groaned, imagining the blonde decked out in a blue dress. Shaking his head from his thoughts, he looked back at the pumpkins, "So, again, why do we need pumpkins if we're going to a party?"

"We're still decorating and putting out candy, Damon," she sighed, "We live in a good neighborhood and it's expected."

He groaned, but said nothing. On the inside, he loved how Elena was so involved with the community. She had starting writing at the San Francisco Chronicle and was quickly promoted to an editor because of how well her writing had gone over with the public. She also was part of the neighborhood watch and helped organize community gatherings. She was a regular housewife that was still independent enough that to call him on any of his bullshit at the same time.

Damon watched her lovingly as she put away the groceries she had bought, including three oversized bags of candy.

"Holy fuck, how much candy are we giving away?" He asked incredulously.

She shrugged delicately, "I figured we'd put out a bag…"

"So you bought _three_?"

"I like candy, too!" She defended, a small smile pulling at her lips, "Besides, it's cheaper during October. Might as well stock up."

He grinned and wrapped her arms around her waist as he kissed her softly, "You can have whatever you want, baby."

* * *

"So how are things at S1?" Caroline asked as they looked around the Halloween store for costumes.

The blonde had come up with S1 and S2 for the Salvatore residences, respectively. She and Stefan had been floating in a cloud of honeymoon bliss for the past few months and had just decided to return home from travelling Europe earlier in the month. The Halloween party was going to be the first party that they threw as a married couple and she couldn't be more excited.

"Things are going good," Elena smiled pulling out a costume before putting it back, "Better than good, really. Damon and I…we've decided that we want to try to have a baby."

Caroline squealed in happiness, "I'm going to be an aunt? Really? Oh my God!"

"I'm not pregnant yet, Care," the brunette laughed, grabbing a vampire costume and deciding that she and Damon would look wonderful as a vampire couple, "We only just started talking about it, we haven't really tried yet. We're still warming up to the idea."

"But still! A baby? That's a huge step!" The blonde ranted, a smile overpowering her face, "I can't wait to be an aunt and I know Stefan will be so excited!"

Elena rolled her eyes as she pulled a costume in Damon's size, "Don't tell Stef yet, okay? We really want it to be a surprise."

She sighed dramatically, "Okay, I'll keep my mouth shut, but I want to know when it happens! What made you guys want to have a baby, anyway?"

"When Jenna announced she was pregnant, I guess it just made me realize that I wanted a family, too. And I think Damon's afraid of being an old dad, so he'd rather get trying early. Besides, it could take a lot of time to get pregnant," Elena said, walking to the checkout line.

"Vampires?" Caroline asked, looking at the costumes in Elena's hand, "That's perfect for you two! Ugh, I need to get babies off my brain now. I swear, that's all I'll be thinking about!"

* * *

"So…I might've told Caroline about trying to have a baby…" Elena said that night as she and Damon were lying in bed, "I didn't mean to, it just kind of happened."

Damon smiled, turning his face towards her and tucking a piece of chocolate hair behind her ear, "I don't mind, baby. If you want her to know, then by all means. I just want you happy."

"I am happy," she giggled, snuggling closer to him as his hand wrapped around her waist, "I'm happy here with you, in our home."

He closed his eyes in contentment, " _Our_ home, I like the sound of that."

"And soon you'll like the sound of our family, too," she whispered, nuzzling her nose against his before pulling back slightly, "Are you sure you're ready for a baby?"

"Ever since you took that pregnancy test and it was negative, I've been wondering what it would feel like for you to actually be pregnant," he admitted, stroking her olive cheek softly, "I never thought that I would be married to the woman of my dreams. You've been everything I've ever needed and to know that you want to start a family with me means the world to me."

She giggled, "I wouldn't want to have a baby with anyone else."

He smiled and moved his hand down to her flat stomach, "Hopefully someday soon my baby will be right here. Nestled perfectly inside your beautiful body."

" _Our_ baby," she corrected softly.

* * *

Elena sat in front of the vanity the night of Halloween, applying the finishing touches to her makeup. She looked every bit the vampire she was trying to portray and she was sure that her husband would have a hard time keeping his hands off of her.

After applying her lip stain, she stood up and pulled on the blood red corset and short black skirt before securing her cape. Her fangs were already glistening in her mouth and her hair hung in ringlets around her smiling face.

Sure, they had masquerades and parties in Mystic Falls, but it wasn't the same. This was the first real party that Damon and Elena were attending as husband and wife and the thought made her stomach flutter with happiness.

"Well, you can forget the bowtie," Damon said, coming into the room, "The damn thing just wouldn't stay on. I figured vampires show skin, right? Besides – holy fuck!" His sentence ended in an exclamation as he took in her little outfit. She was the sexiest vampire he had ever seen.

"See anything you like?" She asked, batting her eyelashes innocently at him, "I thought you'd appreciate the shoes."

His eyes trailed down to her heels and sure enough they were the fuck-me heels she had worn for the Gala in June. He groaned as he looked her over again, "Please, please, _please_ tell me that I get to rip every single inch of fabric off of your body when we get back home? I don't think I'll be able to keep my hands off of you…"

"You better!" She chided, sauntering over to him and holding her body against his, "Good boys get rewarded, you know that."

* * *

"Caroline! You look beautiful!" Elena gasped, taking in her friend's appearance.

The blonde did indeed look beautiful in her multi-tiered powder blue gown. Her hair was piled on top of her head in beautiful curls and her smile lit up the entire room. She looked as if she truly stepped out of a _Disney_ movie.

"I'm so glad you could make it!" She squealed happily, looking at Elena's costume, "When we bought that I wasn't so sure that Damon would let you out of the house."

Elena laughed, "He almost didn't, but I'm a pretty good negotiator."

"That's the only way I got Stefan to actually go through with this," the blonde admitted, "He would've rather stayed in the bedroom all night and ignore the party I've been planning for the past month!"

The girls giggled and danced while their men were talking. Elena liked her life. She liked what she had made of it and she was even happier that she and Damon had found each other in this crazy world.

"Do you want some Champagne?" Caroline asked, offering her a glass.

The brunette shook her head, "No thanks. We're still trying to get pregnant and it's not good to drink alcohol."

"Tell that to your husband," Caroline muttered, pointing towards the bar.

Elena's eyes followed and sure enough Damon had a glass tumbler in his hand filled with amber liquid. Her eyes narrowed and she made her way towards him with a scowl on her face.

"What's wrong, babe?" He asked, his brows furrowing in confusion as she stormed over and ignored Stefan.

Her eyes went from his to the glass and back again as she said quietly, "I thought we agreed no drinking."

Stefan laughed, "Don't worry, that pansy hasn't had a drink all night. He's been sticking with soda."

"Really?"

"Yeah, baby," Damon smiled and set his drink down before wrapping his arms around her waist, "You know I would never do anything to compromise our plans."

She smiled widely and kissed his mouth, happy that he was on the same page as her.

Stefan cleared his throat awkwardly, "Am I, uh, missing something here?"

"We're trying to have a baby," Damon said with a huge grin, tucking Elena into his side, "And alcohol doesn't really help with it."

"I'm going to be an uncle?" Stefan asked, his green eyes lighting up with enthusiasm.

"Oh God, he's just as bad as Caroline," Elena snickered to her husband, turning and hiding her face in his suit jacket.

"Care knew!?" His brother whined, "I'm your _brother_! Shouldn't I know first or something?"

Damon sighed, "If you're going to be such a baby about it, then we won't tell you when she does get pregnant. Okay?"

"No! I have to know! Care and I have to buy baby stuff!"

* * *

 **Be sure to leave a review!**

 **~Grace**


	12. The Holidays: Halloween Part II

**So, this is kind of just smut...sorry! It had to happen ;)**

 **Enjoy! Christmas or Thanksgiving will be up next; I'm not sure yet, opinions?**

* * *

 **The Holidays: Halloween Part II**

"Telling them was an _awful_ idea," Damon said, shaking his head as he laughed, "Now, they'll never leave us alone."

The rest of the party had passed with Caroline and Stefan hovering over Elena every chance they got. The blonde was relieved that she no longer had to keep quiet about the news and she openly gossiped to her husband about it.

When they had finally had enough, Damon and Elena decided to head home, saying their goodbyes to the host and hostess. Elena was beyond exhausted and she was more than happy to be heading home by the end of the night.

"Well, I didn't think they'd take it this far. Care doesn't want kids yet, so I think she's just channeling her motherly instincts on me," she laughed, collapsing onto their bed, "But I didn't think Stefan would react that way. Wasn't he happy that she wasn't pregnant?"

He shrugged, taking off his suit jacket and hanging it up as his fingers returned to the buttons on his shirt, "Stef's always liked kids. I'm sure that he's just excited that he'll have a baby to spoil and then send back to us."

Elena's eyes watched his every movement. She may have been exhausted, but watching her husband undress in front of her always did the trick. Her eyes followed his hands as he slipped off his dress shirt and toed his shoes off. His pale muscled chest was exposed to her hungry gaze and if she had enough energy she would have had him on the bed by now.

"Enjoying the view, kitten?" He asked as a smirk came across his face, "I could always help you get more _comfortable_ , too."

She giggled and wiggled her feet at him, "Well, you could take of my heels…and my corset is hard to unlace by myself."

Damon sauntered over to her and knelt in front of her, slipping the heels he loved so much off of her small feet. He set them down delicately on the hardwood floor beside the bed before he stood and eased her onto her stomach. His fingers brushed the silken ribbons that was tying the garment together and undid the bow at the top before deftly undoing the corset.

When the olive skin of her back was revealed, he bent forward and pressed soft kisses from her waist up to the back of her neck, brushing her hair out of the way.

"Mmm," she smiled against the comforter, "Someone's in a good mood."

He chuckled against her skin, causing her to shiver, "How could I not be? I have my beautiful wife laid out in my bed wearing only a cute little skirt."

She reached down and tugged down the zipper on the side of her skirt as she cheekily said, "Is that all?"

"Well, all that and we get to try to make a baby on top of it," he cooed, flipping her onto her back and throwing the corset somewhere else. His hands went to her skirt and he practically ripped the fabric from her, leaving her in a pair of red lacy boyshorts. He growled as he dropped his head to her panty line, nipping at the fabric with his teeth, "God, you know I love these."

Elena shimmied her hips at him and gave him a devilish smile, "That's why I wore them. I figured you'd be less inclined to rip apart something you liked."

He nodded in agreement as gently slipped the lace from her body and smiled as she lay bare before him. He spread her legs and kissed her inner thighs, stifling a chuckle as she squirmed against his mouth.

"Please," she whimpered, trying to buck her hips against his mouth as he held her down firmly.

"Patience, baby," he murmured, allowing his tongue to gently lap at her swollen nub.

Damon relished in her cries of pleasure as she willingly spread her legs wider to accommodate him. His nose bumped against her clit as he circled her small entrance with his tongue, pushing inside occasionally. She always tasted like the sweetest nectar to him and he could hardly get enough.

She felt as if she were flying. Her eyes were closed tightly and her hands had found their way to his raven hair, securing his mouth against her. Every stroke of his talented tongue was sending her higher and higher, her moans getting louder and more desperate as her climax was nearing.

Sensing her impending orgasm, he quickly eased two fingers inside of her tight sheath as he moved his mouth to suckle firmly on her clit. She gave one great scream before her body shuddered and her back arched, her delicious feminine fluid flooding his mouth as he swallowed greedily.

Elena's body was limp as she panted, trying to regain any coherent thought after what her husband had done to her. Her eyes were hazy as she pulled him up on top of her and kissed him languidly, her thighs moving to cradle him.

Her brows furrowed as she felt fabric against her legs and she frowned, "Why are you still wearing clothes?"

He chuckled and kissed her jaw, "I wanted to take care of you first, baby. Are you still up for more?"

"How else are we supposed to make our baby?"

That was all the encouragement he needed. In a flash, Damon was up and stripping off his slacks, kicking them to the side and practically diving back into bed and settling his lean hips against her supple ones.

She giggled at his enthusiasm, "I guess you _are_ excited."

He covered her face in kisses, his hands roaming her body expertly as he palmed her breasts. She moaned slightly and widened her legs, thrusting her hips upwards to let him know she was ready.

He grinned and took his manhood in hand, guiding it to her tight heat. His free hand stroked the wet hair back from her beautiful face before he pushed inside of her to the hilt. Elena gasped at the sudden intrusion, but she was more than ready to accept him fully.

"Oh, God, Damon!" She moaned loudly as he began to move in and out of her at a fast pace.

He had been wound up all night, just waiting to get back home and have his way with her. He watched her face closely, smiling at how gorgeous she looked when she was being pleasured. Dropping to his forearms, he continued thrusting inside of her a little harder each time.

Elena's arms wound around his neck and she kissed him passionately. Whenever he was inside of her, it felt like heaven. She was sure that he was made for her and her alone. When he hit a particularly sensitive spot inside of her, her hands moved to his back and left a trail of scratches in their wake, causing him to arch up and grit his teeth against the pleasurably pain.

"Fuck, I'm so glad I don't have to worry about a condom," he got out in between pants.

She giggled before gasping as his pelvis hit her clit in just the right way. "No…condoms for…awhile," she moaned out, thrusting her hips hard against his, "Fuck, Damon, right there!"

He continued his fast thrusting, angling exactly where she wanted. She cried out as she came, his mouth swallowing her sounds as he slowed, trying to prolong the sensations for her.

She smiled before flipping him onto her back and impaling herself on him once more. She didn't take a respite as she began moving on top of him as fast as she could, knowing he had been holding off for her sake.

Damon looked up at her in wonder. Her chocolate hair was moving in beautiful waves, her breasts were bouncing temptingly, and her face was flushed in pleasure. His hands went to her hips and his thumbs moved in circles as he helped guide her hips against his.

Her nails bit into his chest as he moved his hand to circle her clit, wanting them to come together.

"Damon!" She screamed, bucking hard against him before she collapsed onto his chest, breathing heavily.

He gave her a few more thrusts before his release took over. He held her hips tightly against him, being sure to bury himself as deep inside of her as he could as his seed filled her.

"Fuck," he murmured, trailing his fingers up and down her naked back, "You get better and better every time."

Elena giggled and lifted her head tiredly, a lazy smile on her face, "I love you."

"I love you, too, baby."

* * *

"It's not even noon and you're eating the rest of the Halloween candy?" Damon questioned his wife as he walked into the living room the following morning, "Wasn't the point to stock and make it last?"

Elena shrugged and popped the Snickers into her mouth, "This isn't the candy that I bought last week."

"What? That's the same bag-"

"Yeah, it's the same brand and everything, but it's not the same bag," she smiled, "Those two bags were gone before Halloween."

His brow furrowed as he took in the bags around her, confusion coloring his handsome features, "Then where did all this come from?"

"I got up early and went to Wal-Mart. All the Halloween candy is on sale so-"

"You stocked up?" He finished with a smirk, picking up the dog that was snuggled beside her and sitting down, "And how long will it take before you're done with it?"

Elena thought about it for a minute, "Well, it normally lasts me until Christmas if I'm lucky. Sometimes Jenna or Jeremy would get into it, though."

"This is _so_ not lasting until Christmas," he snorted, kissing her temple.

"We'll see."

* * *

 **Be sure to leave a review!**

 **~Grace**


	13. The Holidays: Thanksgiving

**I hope you all enjoy! Christmas is up next ;)**

* * *

 **The Holidays: Thanksgiving**

"Honey, why do we have two turkeys?" Damon asked, peering into the fridge and making a weird face.

November was almost over and it was time to celebrate one of the best parts of the year. Thanksgiving was only a few days away and Jenna and Jeremy were flying in from Mystic Falls while Jeremy was flying in for Denver. It made Elena happy that she could spend time with her family for at least on holiday since she and Damon were still planning on going to New York for Christmas.

Elena looked over at him from the island and smiled sheepishly, "Well, we're going to have a lot of people here and I wasn't sure how much we'd need. I figured it was better to have too much than too little."

His eyes narrowed, "We only have vie people to feed. I'm pretty sure the _first_ thirty-pound turkey takes care of that. What's the real reason?"

She looked away and sighed, "I don't know how to cook a turkey, okay? Jenna always did it and I wanted to have a spare incase I burnt it to a crisp."

Damon couldn't help the laugh that bubbled to his lips. He had forgotten that she didn't particularly know her way around a kitchen, but it was still nice that she tried. However, Stefan had told him that Caroline was infinitely worse. Apparently, the blonde thought you buttered the bread _before_ putting it in the toaster.

"Don't laugh!" She scolded, blood rushing to her cheeks in embarrassment, "I'm trying. I'm not good at this-"

"Baby, you're going to do fine. I'll even help," he assured her, wiping the tears from his eyes as he walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her, "Besides, everyone's coming to see _you_. They don't care about the food or-"

"Have you met my brother?" Elena asked, cutting him with a disbelieving look, "If the food sucks, he'll hightail it out of here so fast that not even Steve McQueen could catch him."

* * *

"What time are you picking up Jeremy?" Elena asked as she dusted the mantle, "I know his flight doesn't get in until two, but it's going to be pretty busy."

Damon shrugged, looking up at her from his position on the couch, "I figured I'd head to the airport around noon. That way I'll be able to get a parking spot in the garage and still have time to get a coffee before his plane gets there."

She nodded absently, straightening a picture frame before looking over at him, "What time is it now?"

He looked down at his watch and smirked, "Almost eleven."

"So…we have some extra time for… _fun_?" She asked coyly, sauntering over to him and stepping between his legs, "I mean, we won't really have time to do that while everyone's here…"

Damon smirked at her, widening his legs and setting his hands on her supple hips, "Mrs. Salvatore, are you trying to seduce me?"

"Do you need to be seduced, _Mr._ Salvatore?" She responded in kind, wiggling her hips enough for her panties to slip down her legs. Kicking the flimsy piece of lace off, she hiked up her skirt and sat in his lap.

He groaned, his erection straining against the zipper of his jeans, "God, baby, you know you don't have to do a damn thing to seduce me."

Elena leaned forward and brushed her lips against his ear, breathlessly saying, "Then why aren't you inside me yet?"

Growling, he reached between them and unbuttoned his pants just enough for his cock to spring free, making her eyes widen comically. He grinned and slyly asked, "What?"

"You-you're not wearing underwear," she stammered out, her face blushing adorably.

Damon shrugged and lifted her hips slightly so the head of his cock was brushing against her swollen clit, "Well, your sexual appetite has increased since we started trying to make our little miracle. I figured I would just cut out the middle man so I'm ready whenever you are."

"Don't blame this all on me," she gasped playfully, scooting down just enough to take him inside of her, "I mean, have you seen my husband? He's a knockout."

"Good," he smiled as he thrust hard against her, causing her to let out a small scream.

* * *

"Jeremy!" Elena squealed, wrapping her arms around her brother as soon as he walked into the living room, "I've missed you so much!"

Jeremy laughed and hugged her back, "You just saw me a few months ago, 'Lena. It's not like we don't Skype all the time, either."

"That doesn't count," Damon cut in with a smile, "You know how your sister is."

She pulled back from her brother and stuck her tongue out, "Shut up."

"So mature," her husband tsk'd, wrapping his arms around her tiny waist and kissing her softly.

"I'm still here, you know," Jeremy grumbled.

Damon pulled away from her lips and looked over at him, "Then go somewhere else. Upstairs, first door on your left."

As soon as Jeremy was out of sight, Damon's lips attacked hers. His fingers tangled in her long chocolate hair and she sighed happily before she pushed him away.

"We just went at it!" Elena scolded quietly as she felt his erection pushing against her stomach, "You can't tell me you're ready again."

He gave her a seductive smirk, "Baby, I'm _always_ ready for you. We could be in the middle of a snowstorm and I'd still find a way to get you on your back."

Elena giggled, "You have such a way with words."

"That's why you love me."

* * *

"What do you mean _the turkey has to thaw_?" Elena sighed in exasperation, "It's been in the damn fridge since I got it!"

Damon smiled and put the turkey in the sink before looking back at his wife, "It's a bid bird, baby. It was in the freezer when you bought it from the store, right?"

"Well, yeah-"

"It's too big to thaw in the fridge. It just has to sit in the sink overnight and it'll be good to go for tomorrow," he bent down and kissed her forehead, "Now, where's the pan you bought for the turkey?"

She blinked owlishly as she parroted, "Pan?"

"Yeah, because-" he took in the blank expression on her face and he gave her a small smile, "You know, baby? How about you and Jeremy go pick up Jenna and Ric from the airport, okay? I'll make sure we have everything for tomorrow."

"I'm a bad wife, aren't I?" Elena asked, jutting out her bottom lip as she looked up at him.

He shook his head at her, "Not at all. You're doing great, kitten. I promise."

* * *

"Elena, this looks great!" Alaric appraised as Elena and Damon set the rest of the food on the table around the turkey before taking their seats.

Jenna snickered, looking at the food before looking at Damon, "It looks wonderful, Damon. I'm sure you had your hands full making it."

Elena blushed deeply and looked down as Alaric gave his wife a pointed look, "I'm sure Elena-"

"Tried to make dinner," Jenna finished with a small smile, "We've been married for five months, Ric. You should know that I don't know my way around a kitchen except to plate take-out as my own; Sommers women don't cook."

Jeremy piped up, "Technically, she's a Gilbert-"

"Actually, she's a Salvatore," Damon corrected lovingly, taking Elena's hand in his own and kissing the back of it, "And she managed to cook most of this by herself. She just needed a little help with the turkey."

"I couldn't have done it without you," she smiled, squeezing his hand tightly before looking back at her family around the table, "I'm so glad all of you could come tonight."

"So, stick to the turkey if I want to live," Jeremy muttered, poking the turkey on his plate with his fork.

"Thank you for having us, you two," Alaric said, shooting a look at Jeremy before taking his wineglass and holding it up, "You know, I never thought the two of you would ever make it passed a week living together, but you've proven me wrong. I'm glad that two of the most important people in my life have found happiness. Happy Thanksgiving!"

There was a quiet chorus of Alaric sentiment before everyone tucked into the food. As Damon predicted, a thirty-pound turkey was way too much for such a small gathering, but Alaric and Jeremy tried to remedy that by eating their weight in the celebratory bird.

"God, I feel pregnant," Jeremy groaned, resting his hands on his protruding stomach.

Jenna laughed, "Talk to me when you're _actually_ pregnant. I feel like I'm carrying around a melon under my shirt and I'm only four months along."

"Don't remind me," Alaric muttered under his breath, holding out his empty glass to Damon, "I need all the alcohol I can get."

Damon stood and motioned the guys into the living room, leaving the women to gossip.

"Is Ric-"

"He's happy about the pregnancy, really," Jenna said, cutting her off, "But it can be a little overwhelming. The mood swings, the two A.M. cravings. They all take a toll on him, but he's been a trooper. He hasn't complained once, but I notice that his Bourbon supply is dwindling."

Elena smiled, "As long as you're happy, so am I."

"I am," the older woman smiled, "Oh! I've been meaning to ask you what you and Damon are doing for Christmas."

"We're going to New York. We've had it planned for a few months now," the brunette said, reaching for her cup of tea, "We thought it would be nice since Jeremy's going to visit you and Ric and Stefan and Caroline are going to be spending it with her parents."

"That sounds great," Jenna said warmly as she eyed the mug in her niece's hand, "So, no alcohol, huh?"

"Well-"

"Didn't think I'd notice? You always drink around family, even when you were underage!" She laughed, pointing to the empty wine glass next to her plate, "And Damon didn't even offer you a drink. Are you…?"

Elena shook her head, "No, I'm not pregnant, but we've been trying. It's only been a couple months."

The blonde looked at her in surprise before a huge smile overcame her face, "I'm so happy for you guys! I'm sure you'll end up pregnant soon enough, just try not to be too anxious about it."

"I'm trying," Elena said with a smile, "I'll get pregnant when I'm supposed to."

* * *

"You and Elena seem to be getting along well," Alaric observed as Damon refilled his glass of Bourbon, "I really had it pegged that you wouldn't make it."

"Dick move, Ric," Jeremy grumbled, plopping himself down on the couch and holding his stomach, "You know how stubborn 'Lena is. She doesn't give up without a fight."

Damon smiled, pouring himself a glass of amber liquid as well, "She's just as stubborn as I am. I wouldn't give her up for anything in the world."

"Finally met your match, Salvatore?" Alaric asked, an amused smile dancing across his face, "I never thought I'd live to see the day."

The raven haired man looked over at the youngest Gilbert to find him fast asleep and turned his attention back to his drinking buddy as he spoke truthfully, "She came into my life right when I needed someone the most. Even when I was drunk out of my mind, some part of me recognized the potential we had as a couple. I seriously thank my subconscious on a daily basis for marrying her."

"You sound like a sap," the blond chuckled, throwing back his drink in one swig, "I thought the honeymoon stage was only supposed to last a couple months?"

"Every day with her is like a honeymoon," he murmured, staring at the crystal glass in his hand, "Every day when I wake up I couldn't be more happy that she's there next to me. It's like a new adventure that I get to discover daily and I couldn't be more happy about it."

Alaric clapped his hand on Damon's shoulder, a smile tugging at his lips, "After everything you've been through, you deserve happiness. And I'm glad you found it with Elena."

"Me too, Ric. Me too."

* * *

"As much as I love having everyone together for the holidays, I'm glad we don't have to do this for Christmas," Elena said the night that everyone had made their way to the airport and were on their flights home, "It was so exhausting."

She and Damon were lying in bed enjoying the silence of the empty house. He reached his hand over and intertwined it with hers, watching her smile.

Rolling onto her side, she propped her head up on her hand and looked at him closely, "You've been really quiet since everyone left. Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine, baby," he murmured, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear, "I was just thinking."

"About?" She prompted.

Damon smiled, "How different everything will be when we finally have a baby."

"A-are you rethinking-"

"No, Elena," he assured her, cradling her olive cheek in his hand, "I want this. I want to have a baby with you. And I can't imagine when there'll finally be little feet running up and down the stairs and tiny voices that will call me 'daddy'. It's everything I've ever wanted. _You're_ everything I've ever wanted."

She snuggled against him and buried her face against his neck as she whispered, "I love you."

He pressed a kiss against his hair as his arms wound around her small body, holding her as closely as he could, "I love you, too, kitten."

* * *

 **Had to throw in a little bonding :) Did anyone get my Steve McQueen joke?**

 **Be sure to leave a review!**

 **~Grace**


	14. Family Part I

**I hope you all enjoy! My chapters might be a little late coming out. My grandmother passed away on Wednesday and I'm having a hard time finding my muse.**

 **I hope you all enjoy this chapter though!**

* * *

 **Waking Up In Vegas: Family Part I**

The little white stick had a pink plus sign.

Elena's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at it, practically waiting for it to disappear and insist that fate was merely playing a cruel joke on her.

She and Damon had been trying to have a baby since September and it never seemed to be the right time. But now, as they were safely tucked away in a penthouse in New York for Christmas, the little stick in front of her was telling her that she was finally about to become a mother.

She knew that Damon would be more than happy, now she just had to decide how to tell him.

* * *

"Come on!" Elena coaxed him, tugging on the lapels of his winter jacket, "We're going to miss the tree lighting ceremony!"

Damon smiled and adjusted his mittens as he grabbed the keys for their penthouse, "Baby, even if we leave now, we'll still be almost an hour early. And I already reserved seating, too. But, if it'll make you happy, we'll leave right now."

"Thank you," she beamed at him, taking his hand and tugging him through the door.

* * *

Even though Elena wasn't touching it, she could feel the long rectangular box in her purse. She had decided to 'wrap' her little surprise, but she had yet to decide when she would give it to him.

She didn't want to wait too long, but she also didn't want their Christmas vacation to be all about her pregnancy. She wanted to still have fun and enjoy what New York had to offer.

"What're you thinking about?" Damon murmured, wrapping his hand more securely around her waist.

She looked away from the tree before her and smiled, "Just how lucky I am to have you as a husband. Have you talked to Care or Stefan lately?"

"They're going to your hometown for christmas, I think," he shrugged, "I think Blondie's mom misses her."

"Probably," she giggled, fiddling with the strap of the purse.

Damon observed her intensely, waiting for whatever it was she was keeping freon him to surface. She was never good at keeping secrets and he could tell that she was almost at her breaking point. He wouldn't potash her though; she would tell him even she was ready.

"Are you hungry?" He asked softly, looking away from the festivities in front of them, "It's starting to get late..."

Elena shrugged, "I could eat. Besides, pizza sounds wonderful right now."

He smiled, "Pizza it is."

* * *

The homey little pizza parlor that Damon had picked was wonderful.

Despite how busy the city streets were, the restaurant still exuded a sense of privacy for which Elena was grateful.

Her body had been humming with excitement the moment she realized that she wanted to tell Damon. Now.

When their pizza arrived, Elena couldn't help but dig in. It felt as if she was starving even though she ate less than a few hours prior. She wasn't sure how far along she was - she hadn't been keeping track of her monthly visitor - but she was fairly certain that she was at least a month along.

"Should we order some to take back to the hotel with us?" Damon asked amusedly, his eyebrow cocked as he stared at her.

She blushed and nodded sheepishly, "That would probably be a good idea. It's really good."

He laughed, "I can tell. I might have to bring you to New York more often; you can't seem to get enough of the food."

"W-what do you mean?" She asked, looking up at him worth wide doe eyes.

"Well, the Italian food we got yesterday to take back with us didn't even make it out of the restaurant, baby," he smiled, taking for her hand across the table and squeezing it reassuringly, "I don't mind. I just want to make sure my girl gets everything she wants."

Elena was quite possibly modified. She hadn't realized that get eating habits had gained his attention. She looked down at the pizza on her plate regretfully before tearing into it like a carnivore.

"Sorry," she mumbled as soon as she swallowed, "I've just been so hungry lately..."

Damon smiled, "It's fine, baby. You know I don't mind."

"I kind of have something to tell you," she said, reaching into her purse and pulling out the box, "I know it's kind of sudden, but-"

"You remembered?" He asked, his eyes widening as he took out a small box from the inside of his jacket, "I didn't want you to feel bad if you didn't remember and with everything going on-"

"Wait," Elena cut him off, her brows furrowing in confusion, "What are you talking about?"

"It's our seven month anniversary," he said quietly, staring at the box in her hand, "You didn't remember?"

"I've actually had other things on my mind," she whispered, looking down and tangling her hands in her lap.

"Elena, what's wrong?" He asked. His worry was growing with every second that she remained quiet. Swallowing his fear, he asked, "Are you not happy? With...me, I mean."

Her head snapped up before she roughly shook it, "No, it's not that at all. I love being with you. I love being your wife."

Damon exhaled in relief, his whole body relaxing before he asked, "Then what's the matter, kitten? Why're you so nervous?"

"I'm not really nervous," she admittef, a small smile creeping onto her face, "I'm actually kind of excited. I just wanted it to be perfect, but I can't keep it from you any more."

He watched with rapt fascination as she handed him the box on the table. His hands trembled as he untied the green silken now that was tied neatly on the box. Taking the lid off the box, he peered inside before his eyes flashed to hers.

"You...you're pregnant?" He stumbled over his words as the truth assaulted him, "We're going to be parents? I'm...I'm going to be a dad?"

Elena nodded fiercely, tears welling up in her eyes, "We did it. I'm pregnant."

Damon was at her side in an instant, his lips crashed against hers. Her fingers automatically went to his hair and pulled him as close to her as she possibly could.

The restaurant around them melted away and all that was left was the two of them in their own bubble of happiness.

The moment they had been waiting for had finally come to pass and they couldn't be happier.

* * *

 **Be sure to leave a review!**

 **~Grace**


	15. The Holidays: Christmas

**Hi guys!**

 **I hope you all enjoy this chapter :)**

* * *

 **The Holidays: Christmas**

"Go sit down," Damon ordered, pointing the spatula at her.

Elena rolled her eyes, "I'm pregnant Damon, not disabled. I promise that it won't hurt me or the baby if I get a glass of orange juice."

It was a few days before Christmas, but ever since telling him that she was pregnant he had been babying her like no other. She was hardly allowed to step a foot out of bed without Damon hovering.

" _I_ can get you orange juice-"

"Damon Giuseppe Salvatore! For the last time, I am capable of caring for myself. I'm not even showing yet!" She huffed, her cheeks flushed the adorable pink that he loved.

He smiled and sauntered over to her, gently pulling up her shirt in the process. She looked down and her eyes widened as she noticed the small bump nestled between her hips.

"When…" She trailed off, watching his hands cradle her stomach protectively.

Damon shrugged, "About a week ago. I noticed it when you were riding me. Your stomach is usually so flat and-"

"Are you calling me fat?" She asked, her brows creasing.

"No!" He instantly defended himself, rubbing circles on her exposed skin, "It just means that you being pregnant is more noticeable. I'm surprised you didn't see it earlier. But I think it's beautiful. _You're_ beautiful."

* * *

"Caroline called. Again," Damon said as he checked his phone, "It seems like she wants weekly updates on if I've been successful on impregnating you."

They walked arm in arm around Times Square, looking at all the Christmas lights and enjoying the shops. The weather was chilly, but Damon had been sure to wrap her up as much as possible before leaving the penthouse. Christmas Eve was magical around New York and she was glad that she had picked here to spend the holiday.

Elena snorted, "It's because I haven't told her yet. I didn't want Christmas to become all about the baby instead of our first Christmas together. First thing after New Years, we'll tell them."

"New Years?" He whined, "How am I supposed to keep it a secret for that long?"

"It's barely a week, Damon," she scoffed, looking in at a maternity store with interest, "You'll survive and then you can gush to all your little boyfriends."

He paused and pursed his lips, "I have a feeling that you're patronizing me."

"What ever gave you that idea?" She asked innocently, a smile pulling at her lips, "I'm just as excited for _baby Salvatore_ as you are. But I'd rather not have Stef and Care crash our Christmas. Next year will be different."

"Next year we'll be parents," Damon whispered in awe, "Everything will be different."

"And it'll be perfect," she promised, "Now, come on, I want to look at baby stuff!"

* * *

An hour and almost a thousand dollars later, the couple emerged from the maternity store with more bags than they could carry. Damon called his driver and was soon loading all of the bags into the trunk without complaint.

"Was it too much?" Elena asked worriedly, looking over at him as they rode back to the penthouse, "I mean, I'm still wearing the same size and-"

"Did buying all that stuff make you happy?" He asked, cutting her off.

"Well, yeah-"

"Then it was worth every penny," he smiled, taking her hand and rubbing it reassuringly, "I'd spend every cent on you that I had if it meant that you'd smile like this every day. Money means nothing when I have you."

Elena leaned over and kissed him softly as the car stopped in front of their hotel. Leaving the bags in the car, they made their way to their room with a smile on both their faces.

Approaching the door, her brow furrowed as she saw that it was open. She turned to Damon questioningly, "Did…did you lock the door?"

"Stay here," he said sternly before walking through the door slowly.

"Where's Elena?" She heard a familiar voice call from inside and she rolled her eyes and walked in.

She spotted Caroline reclined on the couch and Stefan hovering in the kitchen deep in conversation with Damon. Closing the door behind her, she walked to the couch and sat next to Caroline, laughing, "Why are you here? I thought you were visiting your mom?"

The blonde rolled her eyes, "Not going there. I don't want to go back to Virginia when I could be in sunny California!"

"Care…you're in New York," she said slowly, "You realize that, right?"

"Of course!" Caroline scoffed, "I'm not _that_ blonde! But you and Damon weren't returning my calls and Stef and I got worried."

"So, you caught a plane to New York because you were _worried_?" Damon cut in, walking over with a glass of Bourbon and a smile on his face, "Because I just talked to Stefan yesterday and told him everything was fine."

Caroline's pink lips parted in confusion before anger surfaced on her face as she turned to her husband, "You knew that they were fine? Stefan! We're supposed to be a team. You're supposed to tell me when you talk to them!"

"I told you that they were fine," Stefan offered with a half smile, "I told you it was pointless to come here."

"Obviously you weren't convincing enough," Damon grumbled, tossing back the liquid.

Caroline eyed his movements carefully before she looked at Elena and screeched, "You're pregnant! You _so_ are! Admit it!"

The brunette floundered momentarily, "Uh, wh-why would you say that?"

"Damon's drinking!" Caroline pointed out with a triumphant smirk, "You had a fit when you thought he was drinking at the Halloween party. And I know that you two wouldn't give up yet."

"And if we were just taking a break for the holidays?" Damon intervened, a serious look on his face.

The blonde immediately backtracked, an embarrassed look on her face, "Oh…I just thought…Elena, I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"I'm pregnant, Caroline," Elena admitted with a smile. She couldn't stand her friend beating herself up over something that wasn't true.

"I knew it!"

* * *

Christmas morning found each couple in their room in the penthouse. Elena and Damon were just waking up as they heard crashes coming from the kitchen.

"Should we check on them? Blondie and the kitchen don't go hand in hand," Damon said dryly.

Elena shook her head, nuzzling against her husband's chest, "Stefan's with her. I think they have enough of a combined IQ not to burn down the penthouse, don't you?"

"Stefan can be a little-"

"Damon," she warned, "It's Christmas. They won't kill us."

He grumbled, "And what if they poison us?"

"Stefan will be the taste tester," she suggested, "I'm not subjecting our child to questionable food."

Damon smiled and had her on her back in a second, his hand rubbing her small bump softly, " _Our_ child. I love the sound of that."

"Little baby Salvatore," she murmured, looking up at his blue eyes, "Our miracle."

"God, I love you," he whispered, pressing his lips against hers softly, "I don't know what I'd ever do without you."

* * *

Breakfast was inedible to say the least. Caroline had been permanently banned from the kitchen for the foreseeable future and Damon had been forced to salvage what he could and feed his wife and child.

"What about our food?" Caroline whined as Damon served up a plate for Elena.

He shrugged, "There's always room service. Or take out. I mean, it _is_ New York; somewhere is bound to be open on Christmas."

"Can't you just share?" She whined, "It's cold out there and-"

"My wife and child need all the nourishment they can get," Damon said with a warning glare, "We would've had more than enough if you hadn't decided to try to recreate something you saw on Food Network without a recipe."

Caroline huffed, "I was just trying to be nice-"

"By poisoning your unborn niece or nephew?"

"Damon!" Elena cut in, her eyes wide at his words, "Would you be nice? Everything's fine." She turned to her best friend and offered her a small smile, "The room service here is really great. I'm sure that Damon won't mind if you just charge it to the room."

"Of course not," Damon said tightly before changing the subject, "Where's Saint Stefan? I thought he was helping you this morning."

The blonde looked down guiltily, "Well, I know I said that there wasn't a fire, but…"

Just then Stefan made his appearance. Elena nearly spit out her orange juice at the sight of him. His hair was wet from a shower, but one of his eyebrows was singed right off.

Damon tried to conceal with amusement as he asked, "You know, when I said you needed to change the hero hair, little brother, I meant the hair on the _top_ of your head."

"Yeah, well you might have wanted to tell Caroline that," Stefan muttered, clearly embarrassed.

All eyes turned to the blonde who threw her hands in the air and cried, "Well, how was I supposed to know that aluminum foil can't go in the microwave!"

* * *

The exchanging of gifts went smoothly. Elena had accumulated a few baby books and makeup from Caroline, a diamond bracelet and earrings from Damon, and a pair of special shoes for pregnant women from Stefan.

"They're supposed to evenly distribute your weight when you're further along in your pregnancy," Stefan said, noticing Elena questioning gaze, "I thought that they would help out."

"Don't worry," Caroline said with distaste, trying to comfort her friend, "He got me a _blender_."

Dinner was ordered in because of the lack of groceries and everyone was happy and getting along. Elena was glad to have Caroline with her even though she was a little upset at first. Spending the holidays with family was exactly what she needed and she was happy that Damon seemed to be at peace, too.

* * *

She and Damon lay in bed that night, both beyond happy with how the day turned out.

"I think Blondie's happy," Damon said quietly into the darkness, "Maybe she'll start pushing Stef for kids, too."

She smiled, "I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you. She always said that she was more of the cool aunt type, not the mommy type. But, if anyone were to change that, it would definitely be Stefan."

"How many kids do you want?" He asked suddenly, turning on his side and staring into her chocolate eyes.

She fidgeted, "How many do _you_ want?"

"Ah, ah, I asked you first."

"As many as possible," Elena answered with a small smile, "I like the idea of our children."

He smiled, "So…fifteen?"

"Damon!"

"All right, all right," he smiled, kissing her lips, "At least four."

"At least."

* * *

 **I absolutely adore writing Stefan sometimes. I think I might have to do a Stelena one-shot or something. Awkward Stefan ftw.**

 **Be sure to leave a review!**

 **~Grace**


	16. Epilogue

**We have reached the end! I'm so sad to see this story be over, but, at the same time, it was only supposed to be ten chapters. I'm so thankful to all the support I've had along the way for this story and I'm finally ready to put the characters away for now.**

 **I'll (hopefully) be starting a new Delena story soon, I just need to find my muse.**

 **I hope you all enjoy the final chapter.**

* * *

 **Epilogue**

"Damon!" Elena screamed from their bedroom.

Hearing his wife, he scrambled up the stairs and looked at her, "What? What's wrong?"

"It's time," she said, her lip quivering slightly. Her hands were braced on the doorframe to the bathroom and she looked as if she was in pain.

His brows creased in confusion before he looked down and noticed the puddle of water around her feet. His anxiety skyrocketed as he stuttered, "W-what about Amelia and Jacob?"

Elena sighed and grabbed the hospital bag that she had packed weeks ago, "Call Care and Stef. They can watch them for a little while."

He nodded and took out his phone as he went to collect their other children. She sat on the bed and waited for her husband as her mind wandered back to every other time that she had waited.

Stacey Elizabeth was the first to be born on the fourth of July. The little girl had decided that she wanted to be a week early and make her appearance right as the fireworks were going off in New York City. That was the year that Caroline had convinced the new couple to get away for a late celebration of their wedding anniversary. She was the spitting image of Elena with chocolate hair and mahogany eyes; however, she had Damon's pale skin.

Jacob Cooper followed when Stacey was almost two. Damon had been on a plane to join Elena in Mystic Falls. Jenna had just given birth to her second child and Elena wanted to be there and ended up going into labor herself. Jacob was as sweet as could be. He was a miniature Damon in every way, yet seemed more suited to Stefan's passive disposition.

And, now, the couple was awaiting the new arrival of Samantha Elaine and James Castiel. They had been thrilled when they learned that they were having twins, as unexpected as it might've been. Explaining it to their other children had been difficult, but with Stacey almost five and Jacob three, they grew to like the idea of having two new babies.

"Caroline just got here," Damon said, rushing into the room and running a hand threw his messy raven hair as he looked around the room, "What else do you need? Do you have everything? Is there-"

"Damon, I'm ready to go," Elena smiled, cutting him off, "We've been through this twice before; we should be experts by now."

He nodded absentmindedly and took the overnight bag from her, "Let's get going, kitten. I'm ready to meet our other two miracles."

* * *

"No running in the house, please!" Elena called after the blur that she was sure were her children.

The day had finally come to celebrate Samantha and James' first birthday. The twins were currently being passed around the living room between the relatives while the two older children were playing with Toby and Eliza, Jenna and Ric's children. She wasn't sure where her husband had wandered off to, but she was thankful every moment for the little family that they had created.

"What're you thinking about, baby?" Damon asked, appearing behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, cradling her barely-there bump.

She smiled, "Just thinking about our family." She leaned back against him and closed her eyes. He had a way about him that always made her relax and she couldn't be happier.

He chuckled, pressing a kiss to the side of her neck, "How's our newest addition doing today?"

"Good. She's making mommy a little sick, though," Elena answered with a grimace.

"She?"

She shrugged, "I just have a feeling it's a girl. We'll know in a few months."

"As long as this little miracle is happy and healthy, I don't care," he smiled, "Besides, we can always have more."

She gawked and turned around in his arms, "I thought we agreed on four?"

"Well, technically, the one nestled in your stomach right now is number five," Damon shrugged, doing that eye thing that she loved, "And, if we're going to break the rules, we might as well go all out." His hands dropped to her still flat stomach and rubbed it affectionately.

"Mommy! Toby took my dolly!" Stacey pouted as she wiggled her way between her parents, "Aunt Jenna is too busy with Sammy to help!"

Jacob wandered in after his sister and noticed that Damon's hands were still cradling Elena's flat stomach. His eyebrows pulled together as he asked, "Mama, is there another baby in your tummy?"

Stacey's mouth dropped open as she looked between her parents, "Is Jake right? Are we gonna have another brother and sister? Are you bored with Sammie and JC yet?"

Damon laughed and picked up his daughter, "We love Samantha and James very much, but sometimes-"

"You had sex, right?" Their five-year-old son asked, his face not alight with embarrassment in the slightest.

"Jacob, where did you hear that?" Elena asked, appalled.

He shrugged, "Uncle Stefan bought me a book. He said since I was five, I needed to have no-knowl-"

"Knowledge?" Damon suggested bitterly.

"Yeah!"

Elena sighed, "We really need to start watching what your brother gives our children."

"Are you gonna have a baby, Mommy?" Stacey asked, her brown eyes wide with excitement.

The raven-haired man hugged the girl close to his chest and smiled, "You're going to have another brother or sister soon."

"Yay!" The children cried in unison before Stacey wiggled out of her father's grip and ran to the living room yelling about being a sister again as Jacob trailed behind her.

"So much for keeping it quiet," Elena mumbled, leaning against her husband with a defeated sigh.

Damon snorted, "We're Salvatores, baby. We don't _do_ quiet."

* * *

Sara Emily followed Jackson Caleb closely, only eighteen months apart. Their last child, however, was Danté Alessandro. He was the only exception to the rules of their children's names seeing as he was born nearly two months early and Elena had almost lost him numerous times. He didn't resemble either Damon or Elena, but instead favored the blonde hair and green eyes of his Uncle Stefan. Danté was a smart boy, always ahead of his class and he even graduated at sixteen, ahead of Jackson and Sara.

Stacey, Samantha, James, and Jackson had all decided to follow in their father's footsteps and attend law school. When Giuseppe retired from the law firm, Stefan and Damon promptly took over before giving it to Damon's children.

Jacob had decided that he wanted to be a writer and as soon as he graduated from college, he took his reporting skills to Europe and traveled as much as he could. He was just like his mother, he wanted adventure and excitement.

Sara, on the other hand, was married right out of college to her high school sweetheart. They currently lived in Virginia and decided to uphold the 'Gilbert' tradition of being a Founding Family, thanks to Elena hyphenating their last names.

Danté decided to work for NASA. He was in charge of designing space shuttles and calculating everything in between.

Damon and Elena were thankful that they were able to watch their family grow. Seven children and many years later, and they were as strong as ever. They had defied all the odds and their marriage had survived.

Stefan and Caroline had never had children, but they were happy that they were a part of Damon and Elena's children's' lives. The couple was almost a set of extra parents.

* * *

"Sweetheart, are you still awake?" Damon asked, rolling over in bed and gazing at his wife.

He would never get over how beautiful she was, even though so many years had passed. Her dark hair was sprinkled with grey and her olive skin was lined delicately, but as soon as her eyes opened, all he saw was the woman he fell in love with thirty years ago.

"How can I sleep when you keep asking if I'm awake?" She quipped back, a smile pulling at her lips, "It's midnight, Damon."

"Then you should know how important today is," he shrugged, pulling a box out from under his pillow, "I mean, I know you're getting older-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence if you want sex any time soon," she warned before her eyes landed on the box, "What…?"

Damon leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, "It's our thirtieth anniversary, baby. Can you believe it?"

Her eyes misted with tears as she sat up with him quickly following suit, "Thirty years and seven children later…"

"Our life is beautiful," he murmured, kissing her temple as he handed her the box, "Open it, kitten."

She looked at him before opening the box and stifling a small gasp. Inside was a beautiful green photo album with the picture from their wedding in Vegas on the front. Gingerly, she opened the book and gazed at all the pictures inside.

Ric and Jenna's wedding, their Disneyland adventure, the week at the beautiful beach. There were a few candid photos of Damon teaching her how to swim and how to surf. Photos of the Christmas they spent in New York, as well as pictures of Elena holding the sonogram for Stacey. Caroline and Stefan were in quite a few of the pictures, too, always with smiles on their faces.

Photos of the beginning of their marriage cascaded into the rest of their lives. Every milestone with each of their children and every important moment was preserved between the pages of the green book.

"Damon…" There were no words for how Elena felt. He had went above and beyond for their anniversary and she had hardly even remembered it, not that she had ever been good with dates.

He wiped away the tears that were running down her face and cradled her in his arms, "I love you, Elena. I always have and I always will. You've given me so much in the past thirty years that I'll never be able to repay you."

"I have you," she whispered, kissing him softly, "You and our children are the best thing that ever happened to me."

Damon pulled back and stared into her beautiful mahogany eyes, "Going to Vegas was the best thing that ever happened to me."

"And waking up in Vegas next to you was the best thing that ever happened to me."

* * *

 **Be sure to leave me a review and let me know what you thought of this chapter and the story in general!**

 **A huge thank you to everyone that followed, favorited, and reviewed. You all are wonderful!**

 **See ya on the flipside!**

 **~Grace**


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